Elevensies Tag! (or, Tom Breaks Radio Silence!)

"What about elevensies?"

Miss Melody Muffin was so kind as to tag me for this fun little quiz—um, over a month ago. *Doink!*—and of course anyone who reads my blog knows how powerless I am to resist a good tag. ;-) It’s taken me longer than I intended to finish this—partly because it’s hard to think of eleven random facts about oneself (except when one isn’t at the computer, of course :-P)—and then I forgot about it till this past week, when I opened my Word document where I pre-write all my posts! Oops.

My radio silence is also partly due to some very exciting things going on in Real Life (which is a story for another time, and one I need to write up properly). So here we go….

~The Rules~

1. If you are tagged/nominated, you must post eleven facts about yourself.
2. Then, you must answer the eleven questions the tagger has given you and make eleven questions for the people you are going to tag.
3. Next, tag eleven more bloggers.
4. Tell the people you tagged that you have tagged them.
5. No tagging back.

~Eleven Random Facts about Tom Wild Rose~

1.)   I notice that my Characters seem more real to me this past year than they ever did, save when I was just starting to write. Probably due to Kendra’s Character Encounters, and the influence of how real her own Characters are to her.

2.)   On the downside, I find myself more interested in (read: obsessed with)  how my Characters will look—which doll-kits will best represent them (which is another story entirely), what their costumes will look like, how to make tiny jewelry that can go on and off but still be durable, what hairstyles they’ll have, etc., etc., etc.—than actually writing their stories. *Halo*

3.)   It bugs the stuffing out of me to hear people say things like, “I should’ve went” (instead of, “I should’ve gone”), “The thing is, is…” (when there’s no need for that second “is”), “This is from So-and-So and I” (when, if you took out “So-and-So and,” the sentence would read, “This is from I”—it should be, “This is from So-and-So and me”), et cetera. And don’t even get me started on apostrophes being used on plural nouns (ex: “No Penny’s” instead of “No Pennies”), and then omitted on possessive nouns (“Sallys dog,” instead of “Sally’s dog”). Gak! Why can’t the English LEARN TO SPEAK?! (Name that line!)
*Ahem*

4.)   I tend to invent my own words and terms for things—mainly to be different and quirky, but sometimes because there just isn’t a word in the English language to convey the feeling of a thing. For instance, “skronky” just popped into my head one day, as I was thinking about something that wouldn’t behave the way I wanted it to (or something like that).

5.)   My best colors at sixteen were Pastel Aqua, Lavender, Pale Pink, Medium Blue and Deep Blue-green (which is really hard to reproduce in computer text, BTW). Over the past few years, however, my complexion has changed ever-so-subtly, and now all but the green (and possibly the blue) make me look sick and jaundiced!

6.)   Now my best colors are deep, rich jewel-tones like Ruby-red, Malachite-green, Royal Purple (yay!)…and even previously “forbidden” colors like Royal Blue, Black and even (which was a huge—very pleasant—surprise) White!

7.)  I have a pet rock. Actually two. One (“Clifford”) looks like a greyhound’s head (and apparently has been in the family for at least two generations!), and the other (“Rocky”) is one Mom spotted during a visit to the Spokane River. I have a picture of “Rocky” *somewhere*, but I can’t seem to find it. And I don’t have one of “Clifford” at the moment, either. :-(

8.)   As a kid, I loved snow and actually hoped every year for a White Birthday, but the area we lived in hardly ever got snow for most of my growing-up years. As an adult, I live in a climate where snow is a sure thing all Winter…but now I tend to prefer late-Spring/early-Summer-type weather. >Le Sigh<

9.)   As a teenager, I used to laugh in my sleeve at people who cringed at the thought of turning thirty. Now that I’m practically thirty myself, I can understand how they felt.

10.)                      …of course, that may be due to the fact that, emotionally, I’m still only about ten—seventeen on good days. :-P (Wow, that was revealing….)

11.)                      I have never attended a ball…or even a dance—not a formal one, anyway. Peter’s friend Matthew (affectionately christened “Little John” back then) usually had dancing at his parties, but that’s about it. No country balls for this little wench. Sad but true.

~Melody’s Questions~

1. What is your attitude toward reptiles? I must admit, I find them generally kinda creepy—especially the ones that can potentially grow large enough to eat me. *Shudder* Dinosaurs (which I call “Lesser Dragons” in my fantasy series :-P) and “Fire-drakes,” on the other hand—they’re kind of neat. They make for an interesting variation in the local fauna (and what’s a fantasy story without a fire-breathing Dragon, wot?). However, in general, I’m not much of a reptile person and prefer animals with fur…especially of the feline persuasion. (And please don’t look at me like that, Cledwyn. You’ll always have a special place in my heart, but let’s face it; scales, spikes and horns just aren’t very cuddly. *Pats head*)
—Er, sorry about that. My Characters tend to pop into my thought processes at odd moments. Moving on….
2. Do you know what a Mumakil is? Technically, mûmakil is the plural form of mûmak, which is a creature mentioned in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Mûmakil are basically giant elephants that live in the Southern parts of Middle-earth, and the “Southrons” (the people who live in Southern Middle-earth) use them for transportation. /TEXTBOOK
3. How many state capitals have you been in? Just one, I think. My parents took me to Sacramento, California on my fifteenth birthday for a tour of the capitol building. That was interesting. I especially liked the huge doors in the old-fashioned rooms…some of which would form a neat little hidy-spot when left open at the same time.
*EDIT* I think we drove through/near Carson City, Nevada once during a trip to Reno, but we didn’t get out and do anything there, so maybe it doesn’t count….
4. Have you read Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe? Yes; in fact, I found a copy at the thrift shop a few years ago! I wish the English characters had treated poor Isaac of York nicer, but I really admire Rebecca for standing up to that creepy blackguard, Sir Brian. Go, girl!
5. Have you read Jane Austen's Lady Susan? No, but I’m curious about it. I actually found a book at the library that had several—if not all—of Austen’s works in one volume, and Lady Susan was among them…but I had to return the book before I could get to it.
6. What is your favorite rendition of Amazing Grace? Generally a Celtic-styled one—amazing on the violin or Irish whistle!
7. Do you listen to country music? If we’re talking Country Western—which is basically rock-n-roll with cowboy hats and twangy, wailing guitars—I try to avoid it as much as possible, for convictional as well as personal reasons. If we’re talking “country” as in old-fashioned banjo-dueling and barn-raising-type tunes, now—bring it on!
 8. Would you rather have a squirrel or a rabbit for a pet? Neither, thank you. Squirrels belong out in the wild, and as for rabbits…well, I still have nightmares about the ones Bro and I had growing up. I am NOT kidding. Give me a sweet purrbie* of a lap-cat, please!
9. What is your favorite big cat? Tigers. Especially white ones, although they’re all beautiful—those gorgeous markings! :-D Mind you, I like Big Cats in general, but Tigers are at the top of the list for me.
10. Do you prefer your hair long or short?

I’ll admit, there are times (usually when I’m in a rush) when I wish I was brave enough to bob my hair up to chin-length so it wouldn’t take so much time to fix…but since my hair has no natural curl/texture AT ALL, it’d probably be really plain and boring. :-P On the whole, I prefer it longer, as it’s better for braiding and putting it up in the Dog Days. Anywhere from mid-back/APL (armpit-length) to waist is good. Any longer, and it just feels freakish and gets in the way of EVERYTHING. :-P 

11. What is your favorite color of rose? Deep velvety red, pure white or white with a pink “blush” in the center; red-and-white; soft, pale baby-pink and a light lemon-yellow. Also blue, but those only exist in textiles (like fabric or embroidery)…and in my fantasy world. ;-) I like wild roses, too, even though they’re more of a Barbie-pink, but since they only have five petals, it’s not so in-your-face. And they smell so good!

~My Questions~

1.)   What Bible verse/passage has really spoken to you lately?

2.)   LOTR or Star Wars?

3.)   Quirkiest pet you ever had?

4.)   What is your favorite gemstone?

5.)   You’ve been invited to a costume party! Whom/what do you go as?

6.)   Complete this sentence: “I’d like someone to explain to me why….”

7.)   Narnia: Do you prefer the BBC/Wonderworks or Walden Media version?

8.)   What, to you, constitutes Godly womanhood and modesty?

9.)   Are you a girlie-girl, a tomboy, or somewhere in the middle?

10.)                      You’re given carte blanche to plan tonight’s meal. What do you make?

11.)                      Describe a pet project of yours that inspires you most of late.

I tag:

~Tasha

~Kellie

~Ashley

~Olivia

~Kendra

~Anyone else who wants to

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~“Tom”~

* Purrbie = A term used to describe a friendly cat or kitten who purrs loudly, often and/or at the slightest touch.
Source: Originally coined by friend Shawn P.; a pun on “Furbie,” the name of a popular toy in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
See also: Purry; Furry-purry.

~Tom’s Dictionary of Whacked-out Terms and Old Family Sayings