I is for Idiosyncrasy or Insight

 What IDIOSYNCRASY or INSIGHT has been useful to you, either overall, or on a particular occasion?

This was a tough one.  I have lots of idiosyncrasies but I can't say that any of them have been useful to me, in fact, most of pretty annoying to other people.    For instance, I am a leg shaker.  My right leg is almost always bouncing up and down whenever I am in a social situation that involves sitting at a table.  It can be very distracting but it's almost impossible for me to stop doing it.   

I am also prone to bursting into song at any moment and I hum when I am with someone and conversation lags and there's nothing to distract me from the uncomfortable silence.  

I could go on, but I risk alienating anyone reading this.

So...INSIGHT.   I guess the biggest insight I have that helps me overall is the knowledge that most people are more concerned about what I might be thinking of them than they are thinking about me.  This helps a lot with overthinking which I am so very good at.   I have even apologized to people for something I said or did that I was worried had offended them.  And almost every time, the person has no memory of the incident.  I have learned over the years not to concern myself with what other people think of me because, as the saying goes, "those that mind don't matter, those that matter don't mind".   It doesn't always work, I still fret about impressing people I really like, and I can be over accommodating, but I no longer give a shit about the opinions of people not in my circle.

H is for Holiday

How would people celebrate a HOLIDAY named in your HONOUR?

I really love to laugh and make other people laugh.  I don't think there is enough laughter in the world these days so a holiday in my honour would be dedicated to laughter.  Nothing on t.v. but sitcoms and stand-up comedy.  Nothing on social media but good news and funny memes.  People would be encouraged to put funny signs on their lawns and dress up in crazy outfits.  But NO pranks.  I don't think pranks are funny for the one being pranked...I don't like them at all.  They are mean-spirited.  No depressing stuff, no sadness, no bad news.  For one day.  I think it would do us a world of good.

G is for Gift

 What GIFT have you re-gifted? If none, name a gift you would re-gift, if received.

I don't very often receive actual gifts because I always ask for gift cards.  Gift cards are my favourite gifts because being on a fixed income, I don't very often get the opportunity to go out and buy something for myself that I really want.   

I did regift something I got for Christmas this year though.  But can you really call giving it to Value Village regifting?    I got a very tiny puzzle in a tube.   It was impossible.  After a few frustrating days, I finally had to give up and call failure on it.   Luckily the person who gave it to me was very understanding.

Something I would definitely regift would be anything that smelled heavily of perfume.  So bubble, lotions, scented candles etc would have to go because perfume gives me terrible headaches.  Also, a shrimp ring would be quickly regifted because I would die if I ate it.  

F is for Film

What FILM could you watch over and over?

Hands down, A League Of Their Own, about a woman's major league baseball team that was formed during World War II.  I love this movie for so many reasons.   The characters are interesting and well cast. I loved Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell together, the chemistry between them was dynamic.   Tom Hanks as always, was brilliant as the drunken coach who did not want to be there.   I love baseball and there was a lot of really good baseball in this movie.  The movie was relatable and took you back to a time when things were simpler, though not so easy for women.   I have seen this movie many, many, times and I still cry from the scene where one of the players learns her husband died in the war, right through to when Dottie's husband comes to pick her up at the boarding house.  I know what's coming and it gets to me every time. I highly recommend this movie to anyone whether you are a baseball fan or not.

E is for Excellent

  What is your most EXCELLENT memory?

My most excellent memory is of the weekend I turned 60.  Belinda and our friend Liz and my best friend Lesley planned a surprise weekend for me that I will never forget.   It started Saturday morning with brunch at Cora, my favourite place to eat breakfast.   Belinda, Liz her husband Dave and her mother Trudy were there and we had a great time.   I knew I was going somewhere overnight that night, but I didn't know where.  I only knew I had to bring a bathing suit.   I tried to think where it could be but nothing seemed plausible.   We came back from brunch and loaded the car for the trip and Belinda said she had to pick something up at Liz's.   We begged Liz to come with us and she said she'd go ask her husband and 2 seconds later she came out with her suitcase!   Belinda was standing behind the car putting our destination in WAZE without me seeing.   So there I was driving, not knowing where I was going.  

We headed towards Niagara and I was thinking we were going to spend the night in Niagara Falls which is always a lot of fun. I thought maybe we were going to a spa.  I guessed out loud a few times but my companions were silent.   So I kept driving.  Then we took the highway that leads to the border and I thought, maybe we were going to New York.  I saw signs for Great Wolf Lodge, which was some place I always wanted to go, but quickly dismissed that as being way too expensive.   Imagine my surprise when WAZE told me to turn into the parking lot of Great Wolf Lodge!!!  I was SO surprised and excited.   As I was standing in the lobby waiting for Belinda to check us in I saw a bunch of balloons heading towards me...the person carrying them moved the balloons and I saw it was my best friend Lesley!  Another excellent surprise.   We had such a good time that weekend, going down all the water slides during the day and eating junk food and playing board games that night.  I had no idea any of this was going on because Belinda and I were dealing with her breast cancer and I had no expectations of doing anything special at all.

The saddest part of the weekend was that Belinda was recovering from a post surgery infection and couldn't get wet, so she missed out on the water slides.   But she was a good sport and we had fun anyway.  

Excellent memory.

D is for Dog

 D Your favourite breed of DOG?

I'm really a cat person, but there are three types of dogs that I just love.  Miniature schnauzers.  They are cute as hell, smarter than most humans I know, and just delightful to have around.   Their biggest flaw, they are barkers...yappers really.   And don't ever give them a squeaky toy, you will never ever hear the end of that squeaking.  I had a miniature schnauzer for a few years.  His name was Spencer and even though he belonged to my partner, he immediately bonded with me and I became his "person".  Spencer followed me everywhere even into the bathroom.  We had a little routine.  Spencer's fur was very prone to matting and I took it as my job to keep the little mat balls under control.  When Spencer followed me into the bathroom I would take out the scissors and start snipping.   He didn't seem to mind at all, even when I would flip him upside down and get close to his "package" with the scissors.  Our favourite game was "hide the squeaky corn cob stuffy."  He played with this incessantly and drove me crazy. So when I had had enough I would hide it.  Spencer would stare intently at me for hours if I let him, just waiting for me to produce that stuffy.  Usually I took pity on him and gave it back.

I have never had a boxer or a golden retriever.   I just love the boxer "who's a good boy" face.  They always have that look of trying so hard to be good but always being in trouble.   And golden retrievers are just really nice dogs, gentle, loyal, and smart.  But then, I guess that describes most dogs when you think about it.

C is for Cool

 C What did you think was COOL when you were young, and now: not so much.

When I was young I used to think it was cool to get drunk at every social event.   Because I was quite thin, this didn't require a lot of alcohol.  I was a "sniff the cork" drunk that was always the first one to get rowdy at parties.   Rowdy involved lots of ribald humour and seductive behaviour.  I was shameless and bold.   I usually ended up throwing up by the end of the night.   I also thought it was cool to talk about how drunk I had been when talking about the party the next day.   I thought I was hilarious and the life of the party.  And when I was young, I probably was, we were all the same, living to get drunk or high.   But as I got older funny and outrageous became pathetic and embarrassing. I realized people were laughing at me, not with me.  I learned that alcohol was not my friend.  It didn't make me more likeable, or funny.  I lost friends and I destroyed relationships.   So I stopped drinking altogether.   It wasn't cool anymore.