My summer vacation has officially started.

Classes and papers done, a trip home to Musikfest and to see the McIsaacs, including a swim in their new pool, and a last visit to the Philly apartment, site of many wonderful parties and times where we all sat around trying to figure out what to do. Now back in my lonely Williamsburg apartment with a lot of mess to take care of and not much inclination to do so. Apparently this is the perfect time to do a survey.

45 of the most random things you probably never needed to know about someone
whats your name spelt backwards?:	eitak keramzcak
What did you do last night?:	drove from Philly to Williamsburg in record time. and i wasn't even going that fast.
The last thing you downloaded onto your computer?:	Camphill pictures, from my cds of them.
Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery?:	Um...no. Is this a common pasttime?
Last time you swam in a pool?:	Sunday! The McIsaac's brand new pool. It's fabulous.
What are you wearing?:	Bryn Mawr t-shirt and jean shorts.
How many cars have you owned?:	Only 1.
Type of music you dislike most?:	The kind where they don't actually make music, just loop a baseline and background and talk over it. So mostly rap and that kind of thing. Also remixes.
Are you registered to vote?:	Yes.
Do you have cable?:	I am very grateful to the College of William and Mary for providing this service so I can keep watching my favorite shows.
What kind of computer do you use?:	A desktop originally donated to my mom's school and remade by my older brother.
Ever made a prank phone call?:	Yes, in middle school my friends and I used to dial the Hooked on Phonics number and hang up as soon as someone answered. I don't remember why.
You like anyone right now?:	No, everyone around here seems to be engaged or otherwise attached.
Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?:	I think I would be more likely to go sky diving, but neither seems like a plausible option.
Furthest place you ever traveled?:	Europe.
What's your favorite comic strip?:	Currently, Sinfest.
Do u know all the words to the national anthem?:	Well, I thought I did, until Mrs. Parker had us go one by one and give the words in choir and we couldn't get past the one part, so apparently we were all wrong.
Shower, morning or night?:	In the past, night; these days, morning, so I can do my hair.
Best movie you've seen in the past month?:	Mirrormask, on DVD. Surreal and cool.
Favorite pizza toppings?:	Cheese. and more cheese.
Chips or popcorn?:	Depends on my mood, I like both.
What cell phone provider do you have?:	Um...Verizon?
Have you ever smoked peanut shells?:	Again, is this a common pasttime?
Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?:	Nope.
Orange Juice or apple?:	Orange juice for breakfast, apple for any other time.
Who were the last people you sat at lunch with?:	Rachel, yesterday.
favorite chocolate bar?:	Dark. Fond of most European brands, like Cadbury and Toblerone.
Who is your longest friend and how long?:	Well, since I technically met Rachel in sixth grade, she beats out Shelly by a year.
Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?:	The last time we grew tomatos? A few years ago.
Have you ever won a trophy?:	Yes, I had a few in middle school for band, and then the lamp of learning for high school.
Favorite arcade game?:	I don't play arcade games, usually.
Ever ordered from an infomercial?:	No, but I do judge things by whether or not they can stand up to the tiger. ;)
Sprite or 7-UP?:	Is there really a difference?
Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?:	Yes, the last one was at Wegmans.
Last thing you bought at Walgreens?:	I don't think I've ever bought something at Walgreens. I did get hair gel from CVS recently.
Ever thrown up in public?:	Not that I recall.
Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?:	True love.
Do you believe in love at first sight?:	I don't know. I'd like to. I can't decide if I would like it happening to me, though. If the quality of the relationship would be as good.
SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON?:	My little brother watches them both, and they both make me laugh. I can't pick. They're both equally dumb.
Did you have long hair as a young kid?:	I think my hair was probably longer when I was older than when I was young. A consequence of that disastrous third-grade short haircut.
What message is on your voicemail machine?:	Nothing. No one missed me.
Where would you like to go right now?:	Somewhere with a stunning good view that you could feel the air rush past your face, at sunset. Perhaps the grand canyon or the cliffs of mohar.
Whats the name of your pet?:	I don't have any pets, unless they're peeves.
What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it?:	A grey messenger bag ripping at the seams, with my ed psych book and notebook and some fun books from the library in it.
What do you think about most?:	Who I am. What I'm doing now, what I'll be doing in the near future. What my friends are thinking and what they think of me.
Take this survey Find more surveys You've been totally Bzoink*d

Hmm...I don't think these are the most random things you could ask. I think I could come up with better. Stay tuned....

Most recently read: The Blue Girl, by Charles DeLint. I was looking through the YA shelves at the library, figuring I should start getting familiar with the things my students are likely to read (or maybe even these are too young) and I saw this, so I had to get it. It's the usual kind of Newford novel, only with a bunch of flashbacks and chapters from different characters' points of view. Some of the situations the characters get into are great, such as when Imogene gets turned completely blue all over from an overuse of a protective herb. Fortunately, Halloween and her personality let her handle that well. But I think DeLint made Maxine's emergence from out under her mother's shadow a little too easy. I don't think my mother controlled me to the extent that Maxine's did, arranging my room and buying all my clothes, but the way that control shapes your thought process is pervasive. There should have been a greater struggle to rebel, or much more guilt and uncertainty in doing so, at least in the beginning. I was surprised at how readily Maxine used the "I'll go stay with Dad" card to manipulate her mother. It just didn't feel right, coming out where and when it did. Or at least, she used it so bluntly; maybe I expected more sophistication. Anyway, this isn't one of DeLint's best books--I think Onion Girl might end up being my favorite--but it's not bad, for what it is. It's definitely interesting to see Christy Riddell through different eyes.