The Raven's Roost

1. If you were to star in a movie, who would you want to be cast as your love interest?
No. Seriously, come on, why does every story need a romance subplot? Yeesh. Less kissing more dragons.

2. What genre of movie would you most like to star in?
Fantasy. Maybe sci-fi but probably fantasy.

3. What song would you insist be on the soundtrack?
Since I listen to so much different stuff, I can't narrow it down to one song. But it would be fun to have The Decemberists do the soundtrack. Especially if we were going into the Victorian gaslamp fantasy side of things.

4. What would you wear to the premiere of your movie?
Dunno, a nice suit? All the red carpet gowns women wear are impressive but I'd be happier in a tux or something that doesn't need to be glued to me.

5. Who would you thank in your Oscar acceptance speech?
Generous of you to assume this nonsense would win an Oscar!

1. Do you like soup? Heck yeah, I like soup.

2. What is your favorite soup? Normally either tomato and basil, or ramen. Homemade ramen, not the little instant packet kind.

3. What kind of soup would you like to try, but never have? Pho. I have no idea why, considering we have a lot of good pho places around Jax.

4. Is stew just a soup with extra ingredients? Not necessarily. I would say the defining difference is in cooking time. Stew implies a long, slow simmer, whereas a soup can be ready in as little as half an hour. Gumbo is a stew. Bisque is not.

5. If you were a soup, what soup would you be and why? Probably that "demon ramen" in Tokyo that people have to sign a waiver to order.

1. Are you and your birth family close?
No. After college, I moved out of state, and I rarely hear from anyone in my family aside from my adoptive and birth mothers. Well, "rarely" is incorrect - it's actually "never."

2. How far away do you live from your various family members?
Most of my family lives in eastern Tennessee, I think. I was under the impression some live in Florida. Apparently one of my great grandmothers lived the later part of her life in Jacksonville and was shipped back to TN to be buried. I also thought I had heard some cousins live in Winter Park but I don't really know.

3. When was the last time you visited with relatives?
I don't remember exactly. I want to say maybe 2003? Definitely pre-Katrina.

4. Do your relatives travel to visit you?
LOL nope. I think Carolyn and Gina are the only ones who even know where I live.

5. How do you stay in touch with family: phone calls, email, snail mail, texts, other?
Text mostly. I'm awkward on the phone so I rarely call anyone unless it's necessary. Text or email are best for me. I frankly don't care if someone in my family wants me to call.

I used to think I had an entirely average, normal childhood, but lately I'm learning how not-normal things were. Processing all this is difficult. I'm grateful to finally be in a living situation where I feel secure, and while Fox doesn't personally understand some of the stuff I've been through, he's willing to listen. But I feel like I've set off one of those endlessly elaborate displays of falling dominoes by simply starting to ask a question of myself one day - "Why do I do that?" I don't like the answers I'm getting, but they make things make sense, even if I wish they weren't true.

If I'm asked directly, my answer is something like "oh, my childhood was fine. You know, the usual." This is because I can't remember a lot of it. I remember what I was reading, or what TV shows I followed, but not much about what I was actually doing. I tended to live inside my own head most of the time, which I'm told ... isn't really normal. I was mentally just checked out a lot. I didn't want to be at home, I didn't like school, I didn't have much of any place to go except inward. It was the same trapped feeling I had in Louisiana - I hated my job and didn't want to be at work, but I dreaded having to go home, and in between I didn't have many places I could be.

I doubt that I was an easy kid to raise, but I also feel like if you have a kid, and especially if you go out of your way to adopt one, you ought to be prepared for them to be individual humans. You can't force people to be the way you wish them to be. And when you don't even know what the hell you want from anyone, you can really screw up a kid who relies on you for their life.

1. What is the oldest object you own?
This is a hard one, honestly. I have a cookbook, The Viko Cookbook, from the 1930s that was produced by Viko Aluminum Cookware. I also have some glass telephone line insulators that I don't know dates on. Fox has some souvenirs that his grandfather brought from Japan after WW2, including a hoe specifically for rice, and that may actually be one of the oldest things I have. We don't have a date for it but it's obviously old - and still useful! We replaced the handle and it's great for weeding.

2. What object have you owned the longest?
Mr Mousie - I've had him since I was a toddler. He's a handmade plush mouse who looks basically like a fluffy gray football with a long tail.

3. What is the newest object you own?
I just bought a magnetic Kindle cover.

4. Who is your oldest living relative?
5. Who is your youngest living relative?
I'm gonna punt on these two, since I don't see my family any more. Anyone got any ideas for replacement questions here?

I'm going to ask Fox about it later today but I'm considering "solarizing" one of my garden beds just to see how it goes. I'd be tilling it up and weeding, pulling out any roots and sticks, then covering the soil with a sheet of clear plastic. The sun will heat the soil up and kill harmful fungus, insects, and nematodes. One of my newly formed pumpkins has already rotted, and the pumpkins themselves may be overwatered, so I'm holding off watering them for a while to let the soil dry out a bit. They may also benefit from a feeding. I'm going to be planting cilantro, parsley, and catnip today. There's not much planting to be done in this part of Florida until August or September.

I wish it wasn't so deathly hot, I'd like to go for a bike ride.

1) What are your five favorite birds?
Ravens, obviously.
Blue Jays - because everyone's bird feeder needs comic relief.
Ospreys - They're somewhat plentiful here and I enjoy watching them dive for fish
Carolina Wrens - SO CUTE
Hawks - a pretty broad category but I love seeing raptors.


2) What are your five favorite pet-type animals?
Cats. I have little love or use for most other common pets. I don't get along well with mice or rabbits, fish don't interest me, and I hate dogs. I've had pet birds but I find I'm not good at giving them the enrichment and interaction they need. If we include things like farm animals, I wouldn't mind horses, though it's hard to see them as pets. I've also had African Millipedes that are very pleasant creatures.

3) What are your five favorite wild animals that live in your locale?
Aside from the birds, deer. I know, everyone hates deer. I hate them when they decimate my garden. But I do enjoy watching deer browsing grass in the yard early in the morning.
Bears - if not friend then why friend-shaped?
Snakes - it's Florida, so we have lots of cool snakes. I've been seeing a lot of Black Racers lately. They'll absolutely bite you if you bother them, but I find if I give them their space they're happy to just go about their business.
Bobcats - KITTY
Turkeys - yeah, they're birds but they spend so much time on the ground.

4) What are your five favorite zoo animals that you always want to visit?
Any birds. Eagles, hawks, wading birds, anything like that. I love the bird enclosures at Animal Kingdom.
Lions, Tigers, the reptile house, and elephants.

5) What are your five favorite cryptids that may or may not be extinct, may or may not exist in this world?
The Skunk Ape - Florida's sasquatch.
Lake Monsters - I used to be obsessed with them as a kid
Mothman - For about a year I was completely absorbed in stories about Point Pleasant, including the movie, books, and accounts written by people who lived there at the time, or secondhand from those with friends and relatives in the area. Which led to ....
Aliens! Aliens. *waves hands*
Basically anything that shows up in a Chuck Tingle novel.

1. Can you do simple sewing repairs, such as replacing a button or rejoining a straight seam?
More or less. Sewing is not really one of those things that's in my wheelhouse, but I can get by until I can take something to a seamstress.


2. Can you change a flat tire?
Yes. Well - I can change to a donut, and have done so in the past. I can also do some simple auto checks and preventative maintenance, stuff like checking various fluid levels, and checking for wear on belts and hoses.


3. Can you plan and cook a simple meal?
I would joke and say, "no, every meal I cook is complicated." But I can actually make simple meals - usually stir-fries. They're pretty easy, and once you've memorized a sauce or two, you just grab some veggies and a protein and throw them into a hot pan for a few minutes.


4. Can you rewire a lamp?
I've never tried this, but I think if I found a decent set of instructions, I could do it. I have replaced power outlets and light switches, so I don't think that would be too difficult.


5. Are you a spender or a saver? Are you able to switch from one to the other on occasion?
I typically do switch from one to another. I'm not afraid to spend more on something that's of good quality and will save me having to buy another later on. And right now I'm saving with an eye towards a set of books I really want. So I'm a little of both.