Abra Staffin-Wiebe (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
abracanabra) wrote2006-12-06 10:17 pm
abracanabra) wrote2006-12-06 10:17 pm
Entry tags:
Pocket Guide to Gifts and Socializing
It being the season for gifts and socializing and lots of food, I thought that it was time to get out the good old Pocket Guide!
Social Situations:
1. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHAT IS IT? On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my evenings are taken until 9:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. On Saturdays, I should have martial arts until about 2 p.m. My work schedule varies dramatically--from no work, to working only mornings, to working a full day, to working twelve hours a day including weekends, to.... It is too much, I will sum up: I have Monday and Wednesday nights free, and some weekends. When I'm not working, I have some time available during the day, though I should be writing then.
2. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN ETC): None.
3. FOODS YOU HATE: Bell peppers, pineapple, and onions (unless they're minced and sauteed).
4. ANY FOOD ALLERGIES? None.
5. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ON YOUR OWN WITH NEW PEOPLE? Yes
6. GOOD IN LARGE GROUPS? More "ok" than "good"--and I tend to need an escape hatch after not too long.
8. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE: Seeing movies in the theatre, going out to eat at a new place, potluck dinners, going to a zoo or museum, playing card games, hanging out and having a couple of drinks.
9. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU DON'T LIKE: Undirected hanging out at other people's places. It makes me feel very awkward. Playing trivia games, because I always lose.
10. FUTURE SOCIAL GOALS THIS YEAR: I'd like to start having people over for dinner. In general, I need to work on initiating social contact.
11. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO: Martial arts, writing, books, movies, third world cultures, new scientific stuff, general geekery.
12. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO: Not so good on things involving cultural references, and if I get into a good debate, I tend to start frothing at the mouth and demanding internet access so I can bring up source material.
Gifts:
1.FREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Food made by somebody else that I can freeze and then just stick in the oven or whatever. Somebody offering to edit my writing--short stories or novels (some of you have already given me this gift!). Good photographs of myself (I really don't have any recent ones at all). Random things sent in the mail (OK, it's almost free!). Pretty cards.
2. CHEAP, SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Scented candles (see smells section below), fancy smoked or hard cheeses, flowers, fancy soap (currently craving sandalwood), film (ASA 800 or 400), movie tickets, a gift certificate to a restaurant, bath salts or fizz-balls, international foodstuffs, stud earrings (the kind that Claire's et al sells in packets of six, with different colors or tiny little sculptures), tea (not decaffeinated, and I have plenty of green for now), hats, sparkly things.
3. MEDIUM-SIZE THINGS THAT YOU WANT: living plants, wine, new toaster oven, jeans, business-casual work clothes.
4. BIG THINGS THAT YOU WANT: A 150-lb. punching bag, a new microwave, a small weight bench, a small automatic camera with a good lens size to replace my dying one--ideally digital, a really nice manual digital camera, a Tivo, and a robot that cleans my floors.
5. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING: Owls carved from semi-precious stone, letter openers/daggers, books of fairytales, cameras, those weird swirly-colored glass paperweights, and grandfather clocks (this last is still in progress; I don't actually have a grandfather clock yet....)
6. WHAT SMELLS DO YOU LIKE? Vanilla, cinnamon, apple pie, sugar cookies, and most spicy or fruit-based smells. I can't stand most floral smells--rose is an exception that proves the rule. I hate lilac.
7. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH? Rich colors, the kind that go with wainscoting and old mansions--dark greens and reds and umber and gold. The colors of urban decay - rust-stained and copper-patina green.
8. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR? Fall colors. Greens--moss green, forest green, kelly green. Red and gold and brown.
9. CLOTHING SIZE: One Size Fits All--doesn't! Shirts - Small/Medium. For long-sleeved shirts/sweaters, I can't wear women's clothing unless the sleeves are extra long. Skirts/shorts - 10 (Tall). Pants - 32/34, regular fit straight leg. Gloves and socks also have to be larger than standard women's sizes. Shoe size 10 1/2 W. Underwear size--well, nobody's buying me underwear but me.
10. GOOD PLACES TO GET YOU GIFT CERTIFICATES TO: any bookstore, pretty much, Crown Block E theatre in downtown, Victoria's Secret, Newport News, Target, Williams-Sonoma, restaurants in the area, and sad but true, Rainbow Grocery store (I promise I won't spend it on anything practical).
11. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU ALREADY HAVE: Saveur, Real Simple
12. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE: Writer's Digest, Poets & Writers, Popular Photography
11. NOT SO GOOD GIFTS: Shoes, most fiction books (if I want it, I probably have it), jewelry (except for earrings), most music, country-cooking cookbooks, pictures of small children.
And a not-filled-out copy at the bottom to make it easy for other folks to do this....
Social Situations:
1. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHAT IS IT?
2. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN ETC):
3. FOODS YOU HATE:
4. ANY FOOD ALLERGIES?
5. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ON YOUR OWN WITH NEW PEOPLE?
6. GOOD IN LARGE GROUPS?
8. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE:
9. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU DON'T LIKE:
10. FUTURE SOCIAL GOALS:
11. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO:
12. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO:
Gifts:
1. FREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
2. CHEAP, SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
3. MEDIUM-SIZE THINGS THAT YOU WANT:
4. BIG THINGS THAT YOU WANT:
5. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING:
6. WHAT SMELLS DO YOU LIKE?
7. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH?
8. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR?
9. CLOTHING SIZE:
10. GOOD PLACES TO GET YOU GIFT CERTIFICATES TO:
11. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU ALREADY HAVE:
12. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE:
11. NOT SO GOOD GIFTS:
Social Situations:
1. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHAT IS IT? On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my evenings are taken until 9:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. On Saturdays, I should have martial arts until about 2 p.m. My work schedule varies dramatically--from no work, to working only mornings, to working a full day, to working twelve hours a day including weekends, to.... It is too much, I will sum up: I have Monday and Wednesday nights free, and some weekends. When I'm not working, I have some time available during the day, though I should be writing then.
2. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN ETC): None.
3. FOODS YOU HATE: Bell peppers, pineapple, and onions (unless they're minced and sauteed).
4. ANY FOOD ALLERGIES? None.
5. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ON YOUR OWN WITH NEW PEOPLE? Yes
6. GOOD IN LARGE GROUPS? More "ok" than "good"--and I tend to need an escape hatch after not too long.
8. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE: Seeing movies in the theatre, going out to eat at a new place, potluck dinners, going to a zoo or museum, playing card games, hanging out and having a couple of drinks.
9. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU DON'T LIKE: Undirected hanging out at other people's places. It makes me feel very awkward. Playing trivia games, because I always lose.
10. FUTURE SOCIAL GOALS THIS YEAR: I'd like to start having people over for dinner. In general, I need to work on initiating social contact.
11. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO: Martial arts, writing, books, movies, third world cultures, new scientific stuff, general geekery.
12. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO: Not so good on things involving cultural references, and if I get into a good debate, I tend to start frothing at the mouth and demanding internet access so I can bring up source material.
Gifts:
1.FREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Food made by somebody else that I can freeze and then just stick in the oven or whatever. Somebody offering to edit my writing--short stories or novels (some of you have already given me this gift!). Good photographs of myself (I really don't have any recent ones at all). Random things sent in the mail (OK, it's almost free!). Pretty cards.
2. CHEAP, SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Scented candles (see smells section below), fancy smoked or hard cheeses, flowers, fancy soap (currently craving sandalwood), film (ASA 800 or 400), movie tickets, a gift certificate to a restaurant, bath salts or fizz-balls, international foodstuffs, stud earrings (the kind that Claire's et al sells in packets of six, with different colors or tiny little sculptures), tea (not decaffeinated, and I have plenty of green for now), hats, sparkly things.
3. MEDIUM-SIZE THINGS THAT YOU WANT: living plants, wine, new toaster oven, jeans, business-casual work clothes.
4. BIG THINGS THAT YOU WANT: A 150-lb. punching bag, a new microwave, a small weight bench, a small automatic camera with a good lens size to replace my dying one--ideally digital, a really nice manual digital camera, a Tivo, and a robot that cleans my floors.
5. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING: Owls carved from semi-precious stone, letter openers/daggers, books of fairytales, cameras, those weird swirly-colored glass paperweights, and grandfather clocks (this last is still in progress; I don't actually have a grandfather clock yet....)
6. WHAT SMELLS DO YOU LIKE? Vanilla, cinnamon, apple pie, sugar cookies, and most spicy or fruit-based smells. I can't stand most floral smells--rose is an exception that proves the rule. I hate lilac.
7. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH? Rich colors, the kind that go with wainscoting and old mansions--dark greens and reds and umber and gold. The colors of urban decay - rust-stained and copper-patina green.
8. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR? Fall colors. Greens--moss green, forest green, kelly green. Red and gold and brown.
9. CLOTHING SIZE: One Size Fits All--doesn't! Shirts - Small/Medium. For long-sleeved shirts/sweaters, I can't wear women's clothing unless the sleeves are extra long. Skirts/shorts - 10 (Tall). Pants - 32/34, regular fit straight leg. Gloves and socks also have to be larger than standard women's sizes. Shoe size 10 1/2 W. Underwear size--well, nobody's buying me underwear but me.
10. GOOD PLACES TO GET YOU GIFT CERTIFICATES TO: any bookstore, pretty much, Crown Block E theatre in downtown, Victoria's Secret, Newport News, Target, Williams-Sonoma, restaurants in the area, and sad but true, Rainbow Grocery store (I promise I won't spend it on anything practical).
11. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU ALREADY HAVE: Saveur, Real Simple
12. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE: Writer's Digest, Poets & Writers, Popular Photography
11. NOT SO GOOD GIFTS: Shoes, most fiction books (if I want it, I probably have it), jewelry (except for earrings), most music, country-cooking cookbooks, pictures of small children.
And a not-filled-out copy at the bottom to make it easy for other folks to do this....
Social Situations:
1. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHAT IS IT?
2. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN ETC):
3. FOODS YOU HATE:
4. ANY FOOD ALLERGIES?
5. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ON YOUR OWN WITH NEW PEOPLE?
6. GOOD IN LARGE GROUPS?
8. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE:
9. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU DON'T LIKE:
10. FUTURE SOCIAL GOALS:
11. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO:
12. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO:
Gifts:
1. FREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
2. CHEAP, SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
3. MEDIUM-SIZE THINGS THAT YOU WANT:
4. BIG THINGS THAT YOU WANT:
5. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING:
6. WHAT SMELLS DO YOU LIKE?
7. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH?
8. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR?
9. CLOTHING SIZE:
10. GOOD PLACES TO GET YOU GIFT CERTIFICATES TO:
11. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU ALREADY HAVE:
12. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE:
11. NOT SO GOOD GIFTS: