Part The Second

11) I'm a big old liberal. I'm 'pro-' all the usual stuff - abortion rights, stem-cell research, gay marriage blah di blah. Of course, living in the UK, these things aren't 'big' issues, the way they are in the US. For which I'm very grateful - it means I don't have to be a single issue voter when election time comes around.

12) That might sound like a swipe at the US . But another thing you should know about me is that I LOVE the US. If I don't make it for a holiday there at least once every two years I get grumpy. However, I do think its odd that the U.S. is (rightly) proud of being, in name, a meritocratic republic, but also seems to totally be in thrall to political dynasties I mean, I've got a lot of time for Bill n' Hill, but if the list of White House incumbents 1990-2010 ends up reading Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? Please - it's like 'the divine right of the rich/well-connected to rule'. America deserves better.

13) I have a big (extended) family, and I'm a big family person. I'm very content with peace and quiet, but I love the sound of 30 people shouting over each other, laughing, running round after kids, and telling me I should just grow my hair long for heaven's sake!. That's Christmas, Easter, and any other special occasion at my parent's house.

14) I've been with my boyfriend for two years, and lived with him for one. And that's all I have to say about that.

15) Oh! Except that he says I infantilise him but calling him baby names. Which is true. But if he let me have an ACTUAL baby, then he wouldn't get all my frustrated maternal love.

16) I love red wine, the bigger and more tannic the better. I'm the only person I know who likes Pinotage - especially the ones that taste like petrol and cigarettes. White wine - bruck! It's just for girls!

17) I love actual cigarettes too. I used to hear people say 'I wish I'd never started', and I didn't get it because, you know, why not just stop? But I know better now - when I finally do make quitting stick, I'll miss cigarettes for the rest of my life. Doesn't that suck? NOW I wish I'd never started.

18) I think all drugs should be legalised. At least, I do most of the time.

19) The thing is, the older I get, the more 'pliable' I get. I find other's arguments more persuasive, and I can argue with myself more persuasively too. By the time I'm 40, I will have no opinions left at all.

20) I have never lost a game of Trivial Pursuits (at least since I reached the age of majority).

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Oooh, I love Trivial Pursuit. (I was the captain of the Quiz Bowl team in high school, so clearly trivia is my thing.)
And red wine is waaaay better than white. I have never understood the appeal of white wine.
I love my family, too.

[Salome Ellen]

I'm her (Elizabeth's) mother, and she got all those preferences from me! Next time you come to the States, visit our little backwater and we'll see if we can break your record! :-)

[Sarah]

I suck beyond all reckoning at Trivial Pursuit. I'm fairly certain this is because I was homeschooled all the way up to college and consequently completely missed out on the times, culture, music, TV, etc. of the 80s and early 90s. On the one hand, I feel I didn't miss much. On the other, I'm crippled at any trivia game that heavily involves modern cultural references.

I also generally prefer red wine to white, but a lot depends on my mood and what I'm eating. Sometimes nothing goes better with chicken or creamy pasta that a full-bodied, acidic sauvignon blanc. And a good dry viognier is not to be scoffed at, especially as a "cooking" wine (the wine you drink while cooking) or when paired with spicy Asian food. Dadgummit, now I want wine and I can't have any. *Pout*

[Jenny/Long Time Lurker]

Aaaw, I have the *nicest* commenters.

Sarah - I'm off to Germany next month, and I'm determined to give a fair hearing to some Reislings and Gewurtztraminers. Love your definition of 'cooking wine', by the way.

[Sarah]

Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers are well and good, but be forewarned that most of them will probably be on the sweet-and-mellow side. It's what they're good for, mostly. There are such things as truly dry examples of both, but they're not particularly common. If what you like in a wine is something assertive and bracing, these will likely not please you. But by all means give 'em a try! You may find you like them, just not in the same context as you normally like other wines.