Katie's been gone for such a long time now

This is long, clearly, but if you scan down, there are other posts below, I promise. Thanks to Vicki (a true doll) for the use of a truly long survey from her site. I'd really like it if you, whoever you are, would fill it out, and then you could email it to me, your version. These are ridiculously fun, *Mom*, who started this craze back in the day.

~piercings: once, 8. now, 4, but I only use 2.

~tattoos: none, but I still think about that pi sometimes. not that I'll ever do anything about it.

~height: 5'9"

~hair: dark brown, short, Amelie.

~siblings: none. sadness.

LAST...

~movie you rented: Vanity Fair '98, The Man Who Would Be King

~movie you bought: The Battle of Algiers (Criteron), Napoleon Dynamite

~song you listened to: "Fly" off of Sahara Lounge

~song that was stuck in your head: the one from Chipotle that I want to know the name of :(

~cd you bought: Sahara Lounge, Cheb Mami, Rilo Kiley Take-Offs & L, Return of the Rentals, Garden State (brilliant)

~cd you listened to: Sahara Lounge

~person you've called: the French and Russian embassies

~person that's called you: Jamie, part deux

~tv show you've watched: Seinfeld, but I've seen it so often, I'd be happier to say it was the Simpsons or CYE or The Office or ArrDev. saw Daria last night.

~person you were thinking of: you

DO...

~you wish you could live somewhere else: yes. :( Paris? any takers? I'll settle for NYC, I suppose, though someplace less NYC-ish would be preferable.

~you believe in online dating: what other kind is there?

~others find you attractive: I'll click my heels.

~you want more piercings: nope, I'm good with what I have.

~you drink: yes, but not beer, never beer (amended: yes! sometimes beer, but only certain tasty types), but wine is water, and who dislikes martinis, really?

~you do drugs: heck no; I screw up my life well enough without them, thank you very much.

~you smoke: I've had a few cigars.

~you like cleaning: all right, that merits a laugh. it involves too much contact with messiness. I'll do it when the mood strikes. I like organizing, though, and unpacking after a move, with a scarf in my hair.

~you write in cursive or print: depends.

~you carry a donor card: I think? I have, I think I still do, but I've cleaned out my wallet, a lot. can't even find my moviewatcher card anymore.

FOR OR AGAINST...

~long distance relationships: it's hard, but in a way, enjoyable. wallow in the pain, and then you're happier when you see your sig-o.

~using someone: *against*; it's just falsification, which is the worst possible thing.

~killing people: !?!? umm, against! this is just getting silly. the answers, or the appropriate answers, to all of these, are just so obvious that it'd take a silly teen, trying to rebel, to answer otherwise. teenage smoking...I'm not bothering to respond. ahem to those of you out there who started smoking as teens.

FAVORITE...

~food: ooh. London broil? I like food in general. ginger snaps, molasses cookies, Goldfish. Bstella. Anything else Moroccan or Iraqi. I miss Bern's, and all my great Tampa restaurants. but DC's great for food. oh! carpaccio, and sushi. dear lord, those are tasty.

~song: this is harder. I'll just list currently-listening-to songs. I adore My Summer Girl, Sweetness and Tenderness, Plane Crash in C, anything on Sahara Lounge or my Cheb Mami...all the songs on my top Smashing Pumpkins songlist. as of very recently, "Easy to Be Around" by Diane Cluck. Anything by The Shins, "Blue Eyes" by Cary Brothers, anything by Frou Frou.

~thing to do: travel? write? explore? relax after kickboxing? watch the Simpsons or Jeeves & Wooster? I'm happy with pretty much anything.

~sports: I didn't think I liked sports. maybe I do. hockey's kinda fun, especially when you're inappropriately clad in a dress more suited for a horserace. the French aren't bad at soccer. watching divers could be worse. or are we talking about stuff I do? is kickboxing a sport? or sit-ups? I used to run a lot more. I once played softball and soccer and all, but they don't count. I give up.

~drinks: water with cucumber in it, or fruit juice, or sweet tea, or wine, or gin/tonic, or screwdriver, or martini, or fruit-flavored soda. I adore milk, but I'll only drink it certain places. never in a restaurant unless it's steamed. and I refuse to use the word "steamer;" it's silly and degrading.

~clothes: my new work clothes are very cute. my I Heart USF shirt. I dunno. I'm looking forward to buying African stuff. I like them all, more or less. the suit I made is adorable, pants at least, still haven’t finished the jacket, what with moving and all.

~movies: read my favorite-movie list, people; it's on the profile; it's just a click away. though of course I only listed the ones that I rated a four, along with Napoleon Dynamite, just because it's fabulous, though only 3.5. to get a better picture, you'd need my 3.5s, and maybe 3s.

~holiday: Christmas, because I get to give people gifts that they'll hopefully like. and I love the smell of fir trees, and orange with clove, and all.

~nerdy saying: I thought everything I said was nerdy. Dig? Gosh! A freakin' 12-gauge, what do you think? I caught you a delicious bass. Eight minutes of heaven! It's quantity not quality! You don't plant no tree in a parking lot!

HAVE YOU...

~ever cried over a boy: if you're reading this, I think you already know the answer.

~ever lied to someone: no. heh. yes, but I regret every single time. except right then.

~ever been in a fist fight: hmmm...I'm trying to think of something that was close...no, I guess not. pity.

~ever been arrested: no, but I've been chased!

NUMBER...

~of times I have been in love: undeterminable, what with degrees and all; I'll leave it at multiple.

~of times I have had my heart broken: really, truly broken? once, twice, let's call it three.

~of hearts I have broken: three that I'm sure about. karma.

~of girls/boys I have kissed: silliness. as if I would know.

~of drugs taken illegally: none, of course.

~of people I would classify as true, could trust with my life type, friends: I wish I knew.

~of people I consider my enemies: none.

~of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: hmmm...one, three, four, ooh, quite a few.

~of scars on my body: a lot, but only a couple of really noticeable ones.

~of things in my past that I regret: too many, or none.

FAVORITE...

~Disney movie: Beauty & Beast, Lady & Tramp, Aladdin? Dumbo? Oliver & Company?

~scent: freshness, or Arabic spices. the air after rain. oil paints. that certain shaving cream, don't know the name, from an apartment in Rome. the Avon shampoo. candle smoke.

~word: scuttling, belly, metempsycose, huzzah, smuckers raspberry preserves, avatar. I like words in general.

~nickname: Habibiti, or Catydid

~guy name: Aaron, Dylan, Eliot, Galen, Gibson, Hayden/Haydn, Kavenagh, McLane, Noe/Noé, Parker, Quentin, Sebastian, Sven, Taylor, Wallace, Wells (I tend to like weird names, yes, I know)

~girl name: Astoria, Cecily, Coe, Dade, Delphine, Eudora, Evangeline, Fiona, Gabrielle, Galen, Liane, Lorelai, Maeve, Margot, Morgaine, Morgana, Tertia, Vada

~eye color: I don't know. All eyes are lovely. I like interesting ones. Mine often have some yellow in there, which I'm happy about.

~flower: I love them all, and I love touching them. lilies are pretty, and orchids. roses, carnations. Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose.

~actor: Johnny Depp, all the way. but then, I love Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy and the guy from Chicago, the husband. what's his name? John C. Reilly, I think. Yes. I like actors with initials. John Cusack, Kevin Spacey (I have a picture of us!), etc.

~actress: Angelina Jolie. Winona Ryder has great eye emotion. Kate Beckinsale's cute. Chloe Sevigny's cute. Julianne Moore's cute. I still like NicK. All the French actresses are adorable.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE...

~pretty: for a girl.

~funny: sarcastic. if you are amused by sarcasm, then I'm your girl.

~hot: I'm usually cold.

~friendly: d'habitude, non.

~amusing: I can be.

~ugly: is anyone?

~loveable: by some.

~optimistic: have I met you?

~caring: yes, I can be, with some people.

~sweet: yes, same.

~dorky: yes, that should be obvious.

~spell your first name backwards: enirehtac, what fun. I quit.

~the story behind your user name: which one? cateici should be painfully obvious if you know basic French; frenchpea, well, French, pea, green, 23, pod, veggie, etc. Veggietales I was a big fan of (of Veggietales I was a big fan).

~are you straight? yes

~where do you live? in a tower. ivory, I think.

~4 words that sum you up: curious, witty, sarcastic as hell, and I just might be 9 years old and prone to mischievousness

DESCRIBE YOUR...

~wallet: right now, it's light tan, and small. it's from Target. who needs Coach or Chanel?

~hairbrush: many. my favorites are the pink one and the one wood one with the black metal bristles.

~toothbrush: one's purple; the pretty one that I bought for special occasions is teal and blue.

~jewelry worn daily: it changes a lot. well, my ring, and my USB Flashdrive. it's not always cute, but it looks better than when I had floppydisk earrings.

~blanket: I have a lot. because I'm often cold. and I like softness, and snuggling with Alligator in a blanket.

~coffee cup: well, my work one is black with some logo swan on it. and I have a work one with the Africa Center logo, where I keep pens. I have a lot at home, Berry alumni from the French Dept, attractive large one with French on it from my South Gwinnett High School French Dept, etc. pretty French ones.

~shoes: ha. there's no way I'm going to list all of my shoes. if I have to do it for the renter's insurance, which I'm really putting off doing (can you imagine me totalling all of my clothing? crazy.), then I may summarize. but right now, none. earlier today, Aerosoles Pretty Cat in black, high heels, round toe, small bow. tomorrow, VicSec boots, loved by all.

~handbag: same. but today's was a small Italian black leather bag.

~favorite shirt: Weezer, one of the French ones, the Arabic one, I can't possibly choose. I like the purple one with the black pants and jacket, like what I wore to New Years and then to work, because hey, if it's the first of the year, shimmer can't be all bad.

~CD in stereo right now: can you guess? Sahara Lounge; Rouge (the movie...by Krzysztof Kieslowski) is in my laptop DVD player.

~what you are wearing now: pajamas, comfy ones. earlier, black/blue skirt, black tights with houndstooth pattern in sheer, black shirt, black jacket. tomorrow, tan skirt, blue sweater, brown jacket, red tights with flowers, boots.

~makeup: now, or in general? I'm wearing mascara (because I'm obsessed with eyelashes) and lipstick, but you usually can't tell, because my lips are like my hair, and take color poorly. the color doesn't change really, plus my favorite colors are the color of my lips anyway. waste of time.

WHO or WHAT (was/is/are) -

~in my mouth: the mundane stuff that we need to get by, like teeth and a tongue and all. how banal.

~in my head: ideas, plans, memories. what's in your head?

~after this: sleep!

~talking to: no one, now.

~eating: I was eating lamb and squash and zucchini, earlier. now I have a martini, vanilla.

~fetishes: words. languages. cultures. I guess I have a couple.

~if you could get away with it and murder anyone, who and for what reason?: what? not happening. such horrendous questions.

~person you wish you could see right now: my family, or Angelina, or one of my old profs, I think. anyone could be fun. why am I the one who's answering all the questions, here?

~next to you: the new Africa Center newsletter draft, martini glass, remote (watching The Man Who Would Be King, recent rental), my favorite Christmas ornament. a British well bucket, a glass that had skim milk in it a few minutes ago, a broken vase, a couple of full vases, and a life-size sculpture of myself, if you will, made of cloth and duct tape. speaking of which, no one at Alexandria Wal-Marts knows what duct tape is—they told me to check the pet section—except for that one fabulous, wonderful girl. thank you.

~something you're looking forward to in this up coming month: January...I get a day off, right? seeing my friend no longer teaching high school, and thus happy. going downtown more. Merchant of Venice has Jeremy Irons; I love him. Life Aquatic made me sad; I heard White Noise is a documentary, based entirely on fact. woo...woo... I want another Napoleon, or Huckabees. Badly. Hurry, Jared Hess and David O. Russell! also Wes, though I'm worried, a bit, about the animation.

~something that you are deathly afraid of?: r-words. that's the only good thing about not being in Tampa. I've only seen one bug in my new home, and it was a daddy long-legs. those are just cute, with little bodies, and gangly yet graceful legs, and gentle paws. other than that, well, if you care, you've asked me, and I've answered. why post it?

~do you like candles: yes

~do you like hot wax: yes. nice smell, warm on the fingers, fun to play with on deck tables.

~do you like incense: usually not. impure smell.

~do you believe in love: yes

~do you believe in soul mates: I don't think so; I think it's societal silliness, but I do believe in potential percentages, and likelihoods. and there are obviously going to be more people under, say, your 90% potential than above it, so the "soulmate" pool is limited. but then, our personalities determine how low of a percentage we're willing to accept. I knew one girl, and she was not at all a doormat, just a really really sweet, patient girl, who could probably end up with anyone, and anyone would adore her, and she'd be patient enough to love him. she's the one who sang along with you, yes you, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (note to self: add to database)

~do you believe in love at first sight: no. I believe in attraction, but that's very much not the same thing, masquerading as a bride.

~do you believe in forgiveness: yes, and I wish there were much more of it.

~do you believe in God: yes, and by that I don't mean some spirit, and lighting candles and chanting about "she/he."

~what do you want done with your body when you die: I could be buried, or put in a little stone house in Pere Lachaise. or I still think it'd be sweet to mix your ashes with those of the person you love.

~who is your worst enemy: time.

~if you could have any animal for a pet: small, fluffy, feline.

~what is the latest you've ever stayed up: don't even bother asking. I'm sure I've knocked a few years off my life.

~ever been to Belgium: no. sob. (edit on 24 Mar 2005: I happened to be rereading my past ramblings, and yes! yes, I have now been to Belgium! and boy, is it a great country! I'd love to live there.)

~can you eat with chopsticks: yes, and I’ve taught a surprising number of people how to.

~what's your favorite coin?: dimes are nice. small, cute, silver, lightweight.

~what are 5 cities you wouldn't mind relocating to?: all right. I have more that that in the US alone; geez. Charlottesville, Tampa, Rome (eventually), NYC, or wherever I end up going to school. oh...Princeton, and the voice breaks. I like lots of cities. Atlanta wasn't bad at all, and I miss my family. worldwise, I'd move anywhere, literally. but there's always that special place in my heart for Paris, I love you, belle ville.

~what are some of your favorite pig out foods?: Rice Chex with blueberries on it, creme brulee. deep dish apple pie, the ice cream. odd how now that it's freely available, and I've had it again, some of the appeal is gone. that makes me want to cry. I miss the longing; it's always the best part, by far.

~what's something that you wish people would understand: When a woman becomes a scholar there is usually something wrong with her sexual organs. - Friedrich Nietzsche

~what's something you wish you could understand better: everything else

~anyone you miss that you haven't seen in a long time: if I haven't seen you in a long time, I probably miss you.

~something you want to make happen for tomorrow: hmmm, create something, anything, but drag myself out of the drudgery.