meme time

[threeplusfire]

Stolen verbatim from imaginarycircus because I am often a sucker for LJ question meme time.

The problem with LJ: we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. So I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away.

I think about how strange it is to make new friends at this point in my life, because there's so much history. I've written in this livejournal for almost eleven years now! Thousands of pages of writing all told, an almost unbearable excess of memory and lives.

Comments

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

How are you feeling about who you are these days? I'm asking because I've been navel gazing a lot lately!

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like this question.

I keep meaning to write a sort of transition update post, but I get sidetracked. It's been on my mind a lot.

These days, I feel a lot more sane and together. Dealing with this complicated pickle of gender and identity has been so hard at times. But it is such a relief to just talk about it and to stop trying to make it go away. I struggle sometimes, with my ideas of what being a man means in terms of the culture I grew up with and how the world sees men like me and how I fit into the lives of my loved ones. I still have a lot of self doubt and anxiety. But it no longer feels like this bubble that separates me out from everyone.

Cutting myself off from my toxic family relationships was such a pivotal moment in my life a few years ago. I don't think I would be able to be as sane and with it as I am now if I hadn't done that. I worry that people judge that choice (because of course you're going to worry about it) and how it influences my approach to things. But finally giving myself permission to walk away from that was so important and good for me. Dealing with my father earlier this year reinforced that decision and showed me how screwed up my thinking was when it came to dealing with my family.

This is not the future I imagined. I have no Pulitzer, I live in a suburb and own a home and drive an SUV. But if that is the price of having some sanity and a partner who is above and beyond supportive and loving - then it is totally worth it.

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you cut the toxic family out of your life. And I really have no idea what it's like to struggle with my gender, but I strive to be a good ally to people who do and to check my privilege.

I think being able to talk about it is a very positive thing. It makes me so sad that it's often something people have to hide to be safe.

I never thought I'd be married and in this weird place that I am now, yeah.

[horosha.livejournal.com]

I'll go simple:

What is your day-to-day routine like?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Well, I work three days a week. So on those days I get up just before my 8am shift, feed the cats and sign into work. (I work from home.) I work between 8am-12pm though often I finish early. My next shift isn't until 4pm, so I usually run any errands like grocery shopping or going to the post office/doctor visits. I have lunch and I try to get in an hour of exercise. Exercise doubles as TV watching time, which is handy. Sometimes I take a nap or just lay around reading. Then I work for a few more hours, usually until about 6:30-7pm and I feed the cats again. After that I make or help coordinate dinner when Mike gets home. We watch the Daily Show or Yogscast during dinner. Then the evenings is spent doing fun things, like games or movies or whatnot. We try to go to bed at the same time usually, so we can spend time talking and then Mike reads stories aloud until I fall asleep.

Days off usually involve more elaborate cooking, more flopping around reading or general laziness. I do try to exercise almost every day now and there's usually some chore to do around the house. I have a standing weekly lunch with a friend on Fridays, and I'm trying to motivate myself to start getting up early on Saturday to go to the farmer's market.

[halfacork.livejournal.com]

What is your favorite pie recipe? Do you think I could manage it without burning down the house?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

My favorite pie recipe actually involves very little stove time! I will totally post about it!

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I feel ridiculous for not knowing this, but what DO you do for work? All I know is that it involves reviews. How did you get involved with that job?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Not ridiculous at all! It's such a weird job.

Basically I work for a company that manages the ratings/reviews sections of retail websites. So if you're shopping on a place like Best Buy or Macys or Williams Sonoma, we moderate the review section. We don't edit or reject bad reviews. We just make sure the reviews sections aren't full of trolls saying balls balls balls or posting inappropriate pictures or whatever. So essentially I am paid to read people's opinions on the internet about everything from cruises to banks to tvs to shoes. It's crazy! But interesting. When I realized I was so not happy with having a serious business Career I got lucky and found this job.

I actually found the job posted on Craigslist. It was a lucky thing! They wanted people with a lot of random knowledge and that is totally me.

[cymry.livejournal.com]

I'll go classic: if you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring 5 things, what would you bring? And specifics: if you want books, you have to name the specific volume. =)

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I have written two versions of this - the practical one where there is nothing on this island and the not so practical where I live comfortably in a coconut hut & a magic supply of food and don't have to worry about surviving.

Practical:
- a lighter
- a knife
- one of those shiny space blankets
- first aid kit
- The Engineer of Human Souls by Josef Skvorecky

Not so practical:
- My bat squishable
- The Miracle Game by Josef Skvorecky
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
- Cyteen by CJ Cherryh
- coffee

[cymry.livejournal.com]

oddly enough, not only have I not read any of those books, I've never even heard of them. *shifty look*

squishables would be awesome on a desert island. So many uses, and company too! =D

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I tried to choose books that represented three of my favorite things (Slavic lit, novels of manners & science fiction) and that I knew I could read a thousand times. Skvorecky is really my all time favorite author.

I would definitely need Squishables. They hold warmth, so you would never be cold and lonely at night!