Alice

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?

NIOSA

One puffy taco
One egg roll
One postcard
One medal
One chicken dance
Two cumbias
Two margaritas
Two sangrias
Three beignets
A whole lot of confetti
(in the air, in my hair, in my drink)
But that’s it. I have to work tomorrow.

passing

indomitable woman
fourteen and talking to God
your shield: cloth
your weapon: voice
your citadel: the linked arms of the women around you
the indomitable women
marching into their daily war,
their afternoon battle,
their nightly siege
their ever encounter
your steady stance
of heart-born knowledge:
that wasn’t all you were going to be

A Game of Tag

The latest game of tag by way of Murat11 from the lands of a few other turtles. Answer all the questions, except one that you don’t like. Replace the unloved question with a new one of your own. Then, add a new question.

What is your obsession at the moment?
Paris, France. Come June 22, little lost in the world me will be 30. I’m mostly all empowered about it, with an occasional bout of, “Oh come on, really?!” I figured nothing less than fabulousness is called for to celebrate such a moment. So, Mom and I are planning a jaunt to Paris. Where to stay? What to do? What will it cost? Apparently the difference between visiting Paris now and visiting Paris at 17 is an awareness of logistics.

What are you not wearing at the moment?
A tiara, though I could totally rock it out if I were.

Do you nap regularly?
I get home from work just in time to watch the nightly news with Brian Williams. Perhaps it’s his dulcet tones, or the comfy factor of my couch, but I’ve developed the habit of falling asleep about halfway through the national news and waking right at the beginning of the local.

What’s your theme song?
“Everybody” by Macy Gray

What do you want to change?
The mood at work. It’s so tense right now.

What are you going to have for dinner?
Lemon-thyme zucchini and goat cheese pizza. It’s a Weight Watchers recipe and is perfect for spring.

Your last purchase?
Bananas and Easter candy

What are you listening to at the moment?
“Migra” by Santana

Favorite weather?
Sunny and warm enough for short-sleeves but cool enough for porch sitting

Your goals?
Surviving and thriving

Say something to the person who tagged you:
Hey Murat, tell the missus that the Son of Pears has happily embraced Home Comforts this year with a check, a drive, and now there’s talk of a bake sale. Her candle continues to burn.

Favorite vacation location?
Right now, Paris. Though I love to go and see, so anywhere and everywhere.

Films you can watch over and over again:
The James Bonds, the Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, the Matrices, the Pirates of the Caribbeans, the Wallace and Grommets, the Hellboys, the X-Men, the Batmans…

What movie(s) will you never see again?
A.I., Eye of the Beholder, Transformers, Babylon A.D…Okay, actually I might watch that again even though it was a suckfest. What can I say, I like bubblegum movies. Sometimes I’m entranced by the sheer awfulness.

Favorite tea?
I was going to name something fancy here, but honestly I’m happy with my mug of green tea with lemon.

Book you are currently reading?
“First Among Sequels” by Jasper Fforde

What do you want to do one day?
Buy a house. Funny, that’s the first thing that came to mind.

Which quality would you like to have?
Published

Name one of your qualities:
Clever

What are you waiting for?
I ask myself that all the time. I currently have found no satisfying answer.

Which old-fashioned trend do you hope will soon return?
Hats. Let’s all wear more hats.

One song you're embarrassed to admit to liking:
“Womanizer” by Britney Spears. I give her studio team credit for making a catchy dance number.

Milkshake or crème brulee?
Milkshake

The Nose Knows

Thank God for minor tragedies,
how else to lubricate the sinuses
through the varying fluctuations
in barometric pressure.
Married men and allergies
and a nose bestowed by Poland,
I should have invested in Kleenex
and not in that new outfit.
It must have been a sign
when I smelled a skunk beforehand,
but now I’m simply stuffed with
snotty implications.