Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Interview

I asked the lovely L of Just Run Girl fame to interview me. I needed a 'gimmee' post to get back in the swing of blogging again. She very quickly obliged. If I remember correctly, I'm supposed to offer to interview any of my 2 distinguished readers. So if you'd like some interview question sthrown your way, leave me a comment.


1. What's your favorite movie? And if you could watch it with anyone, who would that be?

This is a hard one, I like SO many movies, and for so many different reasons.

Being a homebody with a blockbuster card means I’ve watched a few movies. So, let’s see..
Heathers …. this movie was my first real discovery of both dark humour and Christian Slater.

Bladerunner, I love so much about this movie, the flying cars, the constant rain, Rutger Hauer’s character “Roy”, the idea of replicants.

LadyHawke is probably my favorite lovestory/comedy, ever.

Raging Bull, I was more or less coerced into watching this and was sure I would hate it, I didn’t, not even a little bit.

The Princess Bride and The Three Musketeers (the Kiefer Sutherland version) are both Cravey-comedy favorites. We all needed Billy Crystal to tell us to ‘have fun storming the castle’ and Oliver Platt to point out the appropriate wine choice for a carriage chase.

All that said and done, I think I’d pick Rumble Fish.
On my 16th birthday my big brother took me into DC for a double feature of the two S.E. Hinton novel/movies; The Outsiders and Rumble Fish.
All the way through the Outsiders I was in 16 year old lust with Dallas Winston (played by Matt Dillon) and was swearing I’d never love again. Until Rumble Fish started and I “met” Mickey Rourke.

Hold your groans people, this was hot Mickey Rourke, go check out the move if you don’t believe me. Plus he was the kind of guy I totally fell for, conflicted, angry, possibly violent. Yeah, at 16, I loved that crap. (Thank god I survived it).

Now I could argue why this movie means so much to me and possibly it’d all be crap. It’s possible I only loved it so much because of the circumstances. Bottom line is that might be true. Because if I could watch it again with anyone it would be Mark. No question.

I am going to add in an honorable mention here – to the god awful Natural Born Killers. Yeah, Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis on a killing spree. It’s terrible. Yet. I watch it every year on Valentines Day.
Oh YES. Cuz nothing, nothing will make you homicidal like being in love.


2. What's your favorite way to unwind?Unwind from what?
After a work day:
Animals.
About 98% of the time it’s taking my dogs out in the back yard and playing /working with them. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have my entire world revolve around a BALL, but man, it sure looks like fun.

The other 2% of the time (or sometimes in addition to), going horseback riding is on the list. The catching and grooming alone can melt away about 5lbs of stress and tension.

I think riding would rank a higher percentage if I could get there more often, but with the crappy winter daylight hours I just can’t.

After a long run:
A hot bath and big ‘comfort meal’ something involving broccoli and potatoes, and usually, a nap.


3. If you could pick up and go somewhere right now, this minute, where would you go?
Cape Hatteras. ‘Nuff said.


4. Describe a funny/entertaining moment or story from your childhood.
My childhood was a lot of things, but funny/entertaining, I’m not so sure. The story I am about to tell you was not funny when it was happening. (Try picturing it through the eyes of a 8 year old).

Now, it’s hysterically funny to me. This might make me strange..or even sick, but you didn’t say who it had to be funny to.

My dad was a career military man. He retired in the early 80’s a ‘full-bird’ colonel. He had the typical uniform with all the ribbons and badges and things on his left (?) chest panel. One of those things was his name tag. It was something I remember as a little girl watching my dad do, right after coming home from work. He’d head upstairs and take off all the ‘bells and whistles’ they went into a brown ceramic ashtray on his dresser top. The name tag was what I think of now as the old-fashioned kind with the straight pointy-pins on the back and the weird-star-shaped push on nubs.

Well one evening he didn’t go straight upstairs, he poured himself a gin and tonic and sat down in his recliner to drink it. I think he smoked a cigar too. When he got up his nametag tilted wildly, clearly one of the push on nubs had pushed off.

My dad retraced every step he took, searched the car, the carport, the kitchen, the living room and finally the recliner. Quickly he became convinced the chair was the culprit. After turning the chair upside down and still not finding it, he carried the chair out to the front yard. Fascinated, I slipped outside through the side door so I could watch what would happen next. Dad set the chair down in the driveway and went back inside. I stayed hidden behind the camper in the carport, I knew it wasn’t over.
When Dad came back he was carrying an axe.
I watched in silence as my dad methodically destroyed that damn recliner in search of his beloved push on nub.

He reduced that chair to kindling.

And no, he never found the nub.

Even funnier, my mom got home a bit later, got out of her car, studied the pile of kindling, touched the former headrest once, and went inside. She never asked what happened to the chair.

I love my Dad.


5. What's your favorite time of day? Why?I’m going to pick morning for the purpose of this interview. Truthfully, I like daylight hours, and all of them. However, I do love the quiet of mornings, watching the sun come up over the back porch when I’m home. I like the feeling of ‘new’ each morning has. I like the promise of a new day., as goofy and cliché as that sounds.

Follow up questions will be answered. Hell with it, I'm game.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aw, you did a fantastic job with this! I am just fascinated by the recliner story. Really, I don't know what I would have thought of it as a child (as you said) but now, as an adult and having had plenty of "those days" I can absolutely see myself doing something similar.

Also, Natural Born Killers on Valentine's Day? I think I may have a new tradition.

And, I, too, love the quiet of early mornings.

I see why we're blog friends. :)

Mojo said...

Natural Born Killers? Hmmm... Maybe I'll have to watch that one again. I probably shouldn't admit it, but I fell asleep watching it. In my defense it was during one of those periodic insomniac stretches I get which usually grows directly out of red-lining for days on end and as soon as I make myself sit still for an hour... lights out! Now The Devils Rejects? I could totally see that one.

But you got a good point... nothing will make you homicidal quite like being in love. As I recall. I think.

I don't wanna jinx anything here, but does the fact that we've heard from you twice in one day mean you're feeling better? A little at least? Sure hope so!

kenju said...

I've never watched those movies - but maybe it's too late?

Anonymous said...

I love Natural Born Killers. On Valentines Day.....Hmmm, that might work :)
My Dad retired a full bird too. I have the "class A" he retired in hanging in my attic still adorned with all his ribbons and stuff.

Great interview, now get writing!
Heck I'm even back to it too.

tiff said...

Um - can I volunteer to be interviewed by you? 'Ccuz these days, without a prompt I'm just not blogging.

Also - wonderful answers.

Doctor Err said...

my favorite time at the beach was when we'd get up before everyone and have coffee and go for dog walks.

the last time i watched the outsiders i was home sick...like a bad bad go get me some sherbert and 7 up sick.... it was almost worth it to watch that. that book was my favorite in highschool...well, that and IT. i STILL have a mad, mad crush on Matt Dillon. and those kind of boys are still my favorite. lucky for me i may be dysfunctional, but i'm not stupid...

Anonymous said...

Oh, look! A newish post! I've been taking the habit of posting whenever I feel like it, which isn't every day any more.

I'd be stunned... er, delighted to have you innerview me for a post.

6truck said...

I remember getting smacked upside the head for talking during Rumblefish once. You can pretty much guess who it was - the only English teacher to smack me upside the head on a regular basis...

I'm with you...I've neglected my blog...I gotta get back into it...but shopping for firearms and watching pr0n seems like all I ever get done when I get on the 'net anymore...

Anonymous said...

Hi, very interesting post, greetings from Greece!