Friday, January 25, 2008

7 Weird Things About Me

Jill the Acadian and Christine d'Abo tagged me for this meme last week. My first thought was, only seven weird things? Let's get into the really weird stuff, folks. Why not?



1 - When I was a kid, I liked cheese and mustard sandwiches. No butter - blech.








2 - From elementary school age and onward, I've been totally obsessed with Victorian girls' and women's high button boots. The lace-ups come in second. I love them, too, but not the way I feel about the buttoned shoes. I actually bought myself a pair of shoes at an antique show - they're lace-ups with a slight heel. But they're fragile so no wearing them.

The one and only time I ever had a sleepwalking incident is connected to a dream I had about these shoes. When I was in high school, I dreamt that there were a pair of high buttoned boots waiting for me in the lobby of our apartment building, where the mailboxes were. Luckily for me, my dad was up late watching TV when I went to the front door that led out into the main hallway.

He said, "Where are you going?"


And I said "I'm going to get the shoes..." As the words passed my lips, I realized how bizarre that sounded, which served to push me out of the sleepwalk-y spell. I burst out giggling, tried to explain what my dream had been about, went back to get under the covers and giggled hysterically for 20 minutes or so.


3 - No surprise then, in my humble opinion the female form reached its pinnacle of beauty during the 1870's. I just get all gushy and swoony when I see paintings of Victorian ladies of the period, or watch films set in that time. Most specifically I love the evening wear of that decade.

Painting - Young Ladies Looking at Japanese Objects by J.Tissot, 1869











Painting - Too Early by J. Tissot, 1873

Wouldn't it stand to reason I would think the male form reached its zenith at about the same time? But that wouldn't be weird.





To me, the male of our species was in its finest form at the end of the 18th century, heading into the 19th.




Particularly in military uniform.


















4 - Back in my teeny bopper years, I had a rock solid crush on Leslie McKeown, lead singer for the Bay City Rollers. Apparently I've been drawn to Scorpio males without fail. No matter how much the Rollers were derided as I headed into my twenties, I never stopped thinking he was just my cup of tea. I've always loved his voice, and for Christmas a few years ago I got a compilation CD from my cousin. Thirty years later, I still think he's got a sexy voice. When I'm writing my dark scenes of tragedy, I may be listening to Puccini or Prokofiev, or perhaps Leslie McKeown singing 70's pop ballads.



5 - I'm basically a cheery, optimistic, serene sort of person. Meanwhile, all of my fictional storylines are filled with anguish, violence and tragedy. A lot of times as I walk down the street sorting through various scenes in my head, if I could share the 'audio' portion with someone else, there would be a lot of crying out in pain, or just plain sobbing.


It's the voices...the voices... Sometimes it makes me wonder why I have such a soundtrack of agony playing through my mind. Those are my characters, though, and they're usually going through some sort of hell. One must torture one's darlings, mustn't one?




6 - If given the choice between a midwinter trip to Hawaii, a full-year premium seat subcription to a season of National Ballet of Canada performances, or $2000.00, I would take the ballet subscription without a moment's hesitation.

Heather Ogden in Romeo and Juliet






7 - I would rather stay up late and be productive creatively, than go to bed at a reasonable hour throughout the work week and feel rested. I make this same choice over and over, week after week, month after month. You'd think the fatigue would win at some point. My surge of energy always kicks in by late afternoon, though - without benefit of a coffee. C'est la vie.

Activities of the Common Night Owl by Fredrik Arnerup

Now, whom do I tag, whom do I tag?

How about Joy Renee, Keeyit and Sue?

21 comments:

Joy Renee said...

i've always loved the victorian era shoes too but i liked the lace up better than the button.

i've always been a night owl too.

well, i guess my search for something to post about tonight is over. i found out you tagged me when i idly checked my technocrati stats for the first time since before NaNo and found a reference to this post.

Leah Braemel said...

I've got a pair of winter boots that rival Victoria lace ups - what a pain they are. I think they'd be good if you had a maid to help you do them up. And I'm with you about a man in uniform - especially the Victorian and before uniforms. So sexy!

Unknown said...

This is so cool! I love the Victorian boots too, but I'm more of a lace up girl. I had a pair in high school that I bought because of a play I was in, but ended up wearing them out.

I worked at Kings Landing in NB one summer and got to dress up in all the fantastic period clothes. They are really cold in the fall...

Akelamalu said...

Didn't Victorian ladies suffer for their fashion in tightly laced corsets? That was why they were always fainting - nothing to do with being shocked! I do agree though that the fashions were very feminine and pretty, and buttoned boots were lovely.

Anonymous said...

You admit liking Bay City Rollers? lol I remember wearing tartan ribbons on our bobby socks whaen they were all the rage. Oh my, can't believe I actually admitted that. lol

Unknown said...

I think I missed the Bay City Rollers era. Love the Victorian shoes.

Jill said...

My favorite part is probably close to the victorian era, it is the one when all those drapy dress with empire waist like in Emma!
That dude that you like so much looks a little like Jim Carey!

Annette Gallant said...

LOL Umm, I probably shouldn't admit this, but I like cheese slice and mustard sandwiches and will make one from time to time. Mind you, I like them even better when I add a slice of ham to them! :-)

Robin said...

I'm another night owl, but as for women's clothes I prefer all those gorgeously sumptuous Renaissance gowns. Either that or hippie fringe. I'm all about dichotomies ;-).

Kelly Boyce said...

Cheese and mustard? Cheese and mustard???

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Kelly - I told you it was weird.

Olga said...

I've always been so happy I don't have to suffer wearing all those clothes and having to hang around the house because thats what 'ladies' did during that era. After I saw that PBS show Manor House and saw how BORING the everyday life was for those women, I felt very happy to be in the here and now.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting! And I was just thinking today how I have always been wary of Scorpios and rarely have and any friends (except 1) who was one. And have NEVER properly dated one.

Love me the Leos. ;)

Karina said...

Julia, again I know why it is that we get along so well in the blogosphere! I too used to eat cheese and mustard sandwiches, and in fact, still will choose to put mustard in a sandwich over butter any day. I also had a pair of victorian boots I loved (mine were lace-up). And there is something about ballet that can just stop me dead in my tracks...even a photograph of a pair of ballet shoes brings something out in me that can't be explained.

Me, I've always gone for the Leos...always the Leos...

Camille Alexa said...

I saw an amazing exhibit in the basement of the ROM a few years ago, where they pulled a bunch of stuff out of the vaults and displayed it in Victorian-looking medicine cabinets. There was a whole cabinet of girls' & ladies' white boots and shoes from the 1800s. It was magical.

I've never been to the Bata shoe museum -- is it fun?

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Camille - I've walked past the Bata Shoe Museum but have never been in it! Still something to look forward to.

Wylie Kinson said...

Interesting stuff Julia - and LOL about the audio of the voices in your head. I think most writers would be committed if others could here the plethora of activity in our brains!!

I was the only kid in my neighbourhood who ran screaming in the other direction as soon as I heard "S.A.T-U-R D-A-Y Night!" and I loathed plaid.
I was an odd kid.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tags.. BUT I seldom do tags.. Hehe..

Anonymous said...

I've got my entry online :) Stop by if you have a moment!

Cheers!

http://www.doubledeckerbuses.org/urbanzoo/index.php/2008/02/04/seven_weird_things_about_me

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