getting to know me even more - with Holly and Deb

over at create a connection, groovyholly is pinch hitting this month for the getting to know you day.

she wants to know about birthdays and celebrations.

1) What is your most memorable birthday? Tell us what you remember, your feelings, why it stands out in your mind.

there are a few...my 30th was fabulous because Rob set everything up and we had a party in connie's (rob's youngest older sister) barn. dad, moni, and matt came up for it. irene was 9 months old and just delightfully sweet and cute, nick and dianne came - nick made amazing mai tais, so many of our friends were there - it was really fantastic. we even had some dancing (and you all should know that i LOVE to dance - i mean love love love L.O.V.E. to dance!!).

my 22nd birthday was fabulous because we celebrated at Friar Tucks in cotati. it was this great pub that sometimes had real irish music on saturdays. i grew up with irish folk music, so i knew all the words. as i recall, it was just me, rob, judy, and her then boyfriend. i had everyone slamming on the bar when they were supposed to for some of the songs, i was singing (probably loudly) with the singer and joking around. he sang The 7 drunken nights -- well, he sang 6 of the nights -- i'd only heard the first 5 prior to that. i giggled heartily at verse number 6. the singer wouldn't sing the 7th verse - no matter how much i asked. toward the end of the night, judy and i danced with each other as rob and sean danced with the bartendresses (i did also dance with rob - have i told you that i love to dance? and that i really love dancing with rob? oh, did i mention i had a yard of beer? yeah. that too.

2) What is the best gift you've received for your birthday?
can i write that down? giggle. just teasing. i'm not really sure. it could be when i turned 9 and moni and dad gave me james and the giant peach, charlie and the chocolate factory, and charlie and the great glass elevator. god - how can i be drawing such a blank? i've gotten lots of cool things for birthdays and such. i can't believe that my mind is being so rude!

3) How do you celebrate July 4 or July 1?
hmmm - i was in canada once for canada day. moni and dad thought we'd watch the fireworks...we didn't get to see them because it didn't get dark until about 11 that night...i was probably almost 11 when we went there. we've celebrated independence day in a number of ways - when i was little little, we'd go to my gramma's house and that was back when we could do fireworks at our houses. i remember some of the really cool (to a 4/5 year old) fireworks they had. at dad and moni's i can remember doing lots of sparklers. at mom and ken's we did those worms one year and the black stain never went away on our front walk. when irene was 4 1/2 and rhys was 1, we were at the grannies and we brought a number of sparklers and worms and the rose thingies. we did them in the back yard. the grannies had such fun and the irene thought it was way cool. rhys was nonplussed. the year rhys was born, he was only 1 week old and slept through our setting off of little safe fireworks. it was still light out, but irene had fun. last year we went to a local elementary school and watched the fireworks over sparks. this year we didn't because the fireworks weren't happening until late late - so instead i had lots of glow sticks and we played with them in rhys' room. the fairies also left irene and rhys' name and a smiley face in glow in the dark 'rocks'

4) What do you value most about where you live? What do you do to show
your appreciation? If you've never thought about it, what could you do
to show your appreciation?

do you mean about the country? or about sparks? about our country, i value the freedoms that we have and the hope that we get to keep them. we show our appreciation by trying to be good people. we try to be good to the earth and share our values of recycling, being green when we can, and being peaceful.

- so i'm going to answer those too :D

debR made up some questions as well because melba asked for some emergency questions and debR sent some. and here they are:

It’s a summer holiday and you’ve been invited to a big family-and-friends potluck celebration. What would you bring? (Feel free to share the recipe if it’s super-good!)

maybe we'd bring over the fixin's for margaritas b/c i enjoy them and they are fun. we could bring our cool blender so people could have them on the rocks or blended.

Once you’re there at this imaginary holiday party, how would you spend most of your time?

i'd probably be the one taking a lot of pictures and talking to various people, but able to hide behind my camera. it's funny b/c i really didn't used to be any kind of an introvert. very odd.

The person in charge of music is taking requests. What song would you like to hear? Would you get up and dance to it or just sit back and listen?

DUUUUUDE!!! there are SO many songs i'd request! maybe White Lines by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five (duran duran redid this - it loses a little something). Love Shack by the b52s, She Goes On by Crowded House (so i could dance with rob and he'd sing to me), R.E.S.P.E.C.T. b/c eveyrone needs to get their Aretha on! I Will Survive by either Gloria Gaynor OR cake. and if we didn't go with cake for that one, i'd go with Short Skirt and Long Jacket by cake (i think that's what it's called) so that's just a little bit. and, hmmm...i don't know...maybe i'd sit it out. HA! not in THIS lifetime!!! i really wouldn't care if i were out there dancing by myself. and truly, i wouldn't be alone b/c as both my brother and rob can tell you, i will drag your ass onto the dancefloor and there IS no saying no to me. *beam*

They’re having fireworks! Would you enjoy them or endure them? Would you help set them off or sit back and watch?

i love fireworks. i like watching them. i do NOT like firecrackers.

It’s getting late and the party is breaking up. Would you be one of the first to leave, or the last person the host is pushing out the door, or somewhere in between?

if this is the same party where the margaritas are flowing and there is dancing happening. no doubt about it, rob and i would be among the last! hopefully the kids are sleeping over...perhaps we're all sleeping over. it's a goooood party.

thanks, deb :D these were fun questions!