BOGO: Monday's Muse & Spin Cycle

Saturday night, while sitting in front of the computer and feeling about as creative as a 185 pound lichen, I stumbled upon a cool website called 10Q.


If you were too lazy to read the picture, the gist of it is you are emailed a question a day for ten days at the end of which the questions and answers are stored up until next year when they are emailed back to you. Cool right? Before you go getting all excited about this though, the whole idea is tied into Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur which is all done with tonight so it's too late to play. Seeing that I didn't have to be Jewish or serious in my answers, I was suddenly inspired and copied them all down.

Then I thought, hey, I haven't done Robin's Monday Muse in awhile. Then I thought, hey hey, I haven't done Jen's Spin Cycle in like, FOREVER! And their both Jewish! Robin's meme is all about things that inspire you and I was inspired by a website put together by people celebrating a holiday steeped in LOTS of tradition which, coincidentally, is what this week's Spin Cycle is about. I know, sometimes I amaze myself too. What? No, they're not my traditions, but so what? They're still traditions.

Anyway, then I looked at all the questions and decided ten was just way too many. So here are three.

1. Describe a significant experience that has happened in the past year. How did it affect you?

Well, losing my job was pretty significant. How did it effect me? I was unemployed. How does it continue to effect you? I'm still unemployed.

8. Is there something (a person, a cause, an idea) that you want to investigate more fully in 2010?

Crime. After years of slaving away for the Man and my unsucessful month of trying to find a new job I've decided I'd like to investigate crime as a way to support my family. I don't want to do anything really bad, but I like the way Nancy Botwin spends her days. She doesn't really do all that much aside from drinking iced lattes and driving around a lot. Plus, she's always dressed nicely. I think I could do that. Plus, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever become impregnated by a Mexican crime lord. Win win!

9. What is a fear that you have and how has it limited you? Think about how you could overcome it this year.

Zombies. Not so much the fear of them on their own because they're slow and fairly easy to kill as long as you don't let yourself be overwhelmed by large numbers. No, the fear is zombies and my family. Being constantly worried about them when we're out has kept us pretty close to home this year.

To overcome this fear I've decided to enroll the boys in martial arts and work with my wife so she is more comfortable around firearms and long bladed weapons. Not only will it help make me feel more comfortable, it's something we can do as a family.

If I Should Fall From Grace With God Where No Doctor Can Relieve Me*

Ha! I'm such a loser. My tab button was stuck and I started writing about it being stuck and whacking it with my pinky finger to unstick it and it unstuck and published itself.

Guess you had to be here.

I had a grandiose post planned for today. I was going to solve America's health care issues and publish my cure for H1N1 and leave you laughing like a hyena at the absurd simplicity of it all, but after spending the day feeding the poor and giving four litres (one gallon) of blood to the Red Cross I'm just too exhausted. Ok, that's bullshit. The real reason is that I've been watching an obscene amount of 30 Rock and Weeds in the past few days since the new tv season is starting soon and I have to be ready. And disc 3 of season one for 30 Rock is due back tomorrow. Also, I promised Middle Aged Woman that I'd do a He Read/She Read review of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies with her and I'm a little behind in the book because I got distracted reading another awesome book**. And watching a lot of tv. I haven't done a book review in like... forever so I'm a little nervous about his now. I may have to do something in grilled cheese.

Anyway, I've got a question for you. If you could go back in time and witness an historical event, what would you pick? And I don't mean take part in, I mean like, pack a lunch and a folding chair to watch from a distance. What would it be? I'm serious here. Comment. Tell me. The reason I'm asking is because I've been writing a story for my kids and my original story has moved well beyond where I thought I was going with it and I kinda have an idea where to go next but you might have a better idea which I could then steal from you and use as my own but I'd totally make you into a character in the story if I decided to use yours. And I'd tell you that I'd mention your name in the dedication, but that would be assuming it's ever going to get published, and come on, look at what you've been reading so far. But if it ever did turn into the Great American Novel I'd totally mention you in the dedication. And I know I'm not American, but Canada only has a population of 30 million-ish and the U.S. has like... hold on... wow, 300 million so you know where my literary ass is for sale if it ever comes to that. By the way, according to Wikipedia the U.S. also has a GDP of $14.264 trillion dollars. Not that you needed to know that, but what would you buy with $14 trillion dollars. Wait! Ignore that. Answer the history question first, because that was a serious question. Then you can answer the trillion dollar question.

*This title has nothing to do with this post, I've just had the Pogues in my head all afternoon.
**Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie