Be Prepared to Answer

1. Do you speak to the toll booth operator? I do because that's what all the adults in my life did when I was a kid. You say hello and thank you, no big deal. Some people don't. It feels rude to me. Feels even ruder when a toll booth person stays silent.

2. Mighty Maggie reminded me of one of my favorite bits of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. It's the E.L. Doctorow-focused one in that first link.

3. It's hilarious that I am posting this suggestion today, the day when I, the local Heat Miser, have actually thrown in the towel and declared it too hot to actively exist. I have to do it, though. Schmutzie does a great tutorial at Aiming Low on scarf tying for warmth and security. While we were in China some sales women did a double version of this on Queen Bee to show off some silk scarves.

4. When faced with something icky (employee review, medical procedure, break up talk, etc.) do you prefer to have time to gear up or is the anticipation too much and you'd rather have the minimum amount of time for thought?

5. Danielle Henderson of Knotty Yarn participated in a blog carnival supporting Planned Parenthood. Her personal story of health care via this wonderful institution is heart warming because it happened and 'nad chilling because people (people who yell for SMALLER GOVERNMENT!) are working so hard to keep it from ever happening again.

6. Apparently the NYC City Clerk's office will be open on Sunday July 24th to ring in the era of legal same gender marriages in New York State. I am hoping to be able to go take some photos of some happy couples that day.

7. Do you know Jen Lemen? She works hard to help people all over the world be heard. Right now she's going through a reconfiguration of her own family. A little while ago she posted some interesting thoughts on partnerships. If you've ever been on one of any kind I can't suggest strongly enough that you read what she has to say.

8. I am often terrified by joy, mine or someone else's. I see you celebrate and I join you but some part of me is probably thinking, "Careful! Look behind the door!" Because behind great joy, more often than not in my experience, comes great sorrow. Jen Lee posted some thoughts about seeing her daughter learn this terrible lesson and it made me wonder how I could unlearn it. I don't know if that's possible.

9. Could you pass this test for radio announcers? I could but I took a lot of voice and speech lessons that involved tongue twisters. I have an extremely unflattering disdain for people who don't read out loud well. Stupid, I know, since so many factors go into reading aloud but I feel as though it speaks to your moral fiber. So stupid. And untrue! On the flip side, I hear L say she reads Harry Potter books to her boys with all the voices and I think, "Shit. I couldn't do that."

10. In honor of...lord, so many folks, I give you (via Blogher) the 5 Commandments to Getting Over Your Ex. My heart balks at some of them but my head nods in agreement ever step along the way.