Monday, September 21, 2009

Um...bored?

Think back in February, how was your love life then?
Amazing.

Who was the last person you texted?
Carissa.

Who was the last person you hungout with?
Jordan...we watched the Heroes season premier tonight. (Did you watch it, Carissa?) It was pretty good.

Who was the last person to call you?
Perrian.

Do you have an older brother?
Yes.

Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your own bed?
Um...the bed in our bed and breakfast on the honeymoon...I think.

Do you still talk to the person you fell hardest/ fastest for?
Yes. I married him.

The pool or the beach?
I've never been to a legitimate beach...but I would probably like it better than the pool.

What were you doing at 8 this morning?
Finishing my paper for playwriting seminar.


Have you ever swam in a pool that wasn't yours?
Yeah. Not too difficult, considering that I've never had a pool.

You have to get a facial piercing, what do you get?
Um, eyebrow? I think that would look the least awkward on my face.

Will you be a strict parent someday?
Probably not. I'm kind of a pushover.

Tell me about the shirt you are wearing?
It's the oldest t-shirt I own. I've had it since I was ten. It's white and says "Cedar Point Day 1998"

What time did you go to sleep last night?
12:30.

Do you like waking up to new texts in the morning?
Not really. It's usually someone wanting me to cover a shift for them at work.

Have you kissed more than ten people this year?
Definitely not.

What is the last thing you did before bed last night?
Brushed my teeth.

Is tomorrow gonna be a good day?
Yeah! I don't have to work! I'm going to sleep in til 10 or 11 before going out to take care of Suki and Jack...then Jordan, Spencer, and I are going to Mia's 4th birthday party in Dubuque.

What were you doing at 1am this morning?
Sleeping!

Who was the last person you just sat down an had a good chat with?
Aside from Jordan, I believe it with Carissa, when we went to Olive Garden.

Ever had a threesome?
Nope.

Have you ever licked someones forehead or cheek?
Yeah.

Is there someone on your mind that shouldn't be?
No.

Have you ever disliked someone and then became friends with them?
Sorta.

Are you a forgiving person?
Yeah.

Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?
Not really. I'm pretty comfortable here, at the moment.

Who was the last person you took a picture with?
Jordan?

When did your last hug take place?
An hour or two ago.

What were you doing at 4am?
Sleeping...what else would I be doing? I can't even remember the last time I was up that late. Or early. However you want to look at it.

If you could make your lips bigger, would you?
Yeah. Not necessarily bigger...but fuller. Less thin? If they were too much fuller, they would probably look funny, though.

When was the last time something REALLY made you laugh?
Tonight. Jordan said something that was really funny, but I can't remember what it was.

What are you looking forward to?
Tomorrow--a day free of school and work! And a little further into the future, Wicked! and Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas. Lots of good things coming up.

Have you ever kissed someone you weren't dating?
Yeah.

Is the last person you kissed older than you?
Yeah, by half a year.

How far away is the last person you kissed?
He's in Coralville.

Did you kiss or hug anyone yesterday?
Yep.

What was the last thing you shared with someone?
An elevator ride.

Where did you sleep last night?
My bed.

Does any part of your body hurt right now?
Yeah, my neck...not sure why.

Have your friends ever randomly stopped by your house?
Not any time recently.

Do you think you type fast?
Yeah.

Do you do your own laundry?
Yes.

Are you talkative?
Not particularly.

What was the last thing you ate?
Doritos.

What color are your eyes?
Blue. Although lately, they've been looking more green...

How are you feeling right now?
Starting to get sleepy.

Have you ever sent a text to the wrong person?
Yeah.

Are you smiling in your MySpace default picture?
No, actually. It's our serious-face engagement picture.

What has pissed you off today, if anything at all?
Our front left tire was super flat...I had to stop and air it up when I was already running late.

Are you attracted to the last person that kissed you?
Yes.

Do you ever think "what if" about anything?
Sometimes.

Do you still pinky swear?
I don't believe I ever did.

Last person you kissed, have you cried in front of them?
Oh yeah. Plenty of times.

Your ex wants you back?
That would be pretty ridiculous.

Is there a member of the opposite sex on your mind?
Yeah--my exes, given the last question.

Did you reject or accept your last friend request?
I don't even look at myspace requests...it's always band profiles or fake profiles. I accepted my last facebook request.

Would you prefer a kiss on the cheek or neck?
Neck.

Do you believe your latest ex thinks about you?
I highly doubt it.

You're insanely drunk stumbling through the streets, slurring songs, who are you with?
Jordan and/or Carissa and/or Katie. I definitely recall doing this exact thing with Katie a few months ago after we'd had a couple martinis...

Do you know anyone who would just drop everything to come see you?
Yeah.

Is the person you last texted single?
Nope.

Who was the last person to lay in bed with you?
Jordan.

Honestly, what color is your underwear?
Green and yellow stripes.

Honestly, what's on your mind right now?
How I've had this pair of underwear for years...I need to go underwear shopping.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

A small rant and a survey

Last night at work, one of my coworkers asked me what my favorite literary genre is. I told him that I read a lot of different types of books, but I really enjoy romance. His reply: "And you're an English major? That surprises me. Isn't romance like the kid sister of real literature?" Maybe if you're talking about the $5 paperback romances at Wal-Mart with shirtless men and swooning women on the cover...otherwise, NO! Why does this genre get so much crap? Not all romance novels are trashy and shallow. They can be just as meaningful and significant as any other novel. What about Jane Austen and The Bronte sisters? I would call their romance novels real literature. Besides, is it so horrible to forget about the literary canon for five seconds and enjoy the occasional Nicholas Sparks novel? I don't think so!


First, what's your name? Amy
Cool - any names you prefer to be called, though? Nope. I like Amy.
Are you ready to get down and dirty - so to speak? ...k.
- Childhood -
What date and year were you born? November 24, 1987
What city/country was that in? Des Moines (IA), USA
What is the first memory you can remember? Moving to our house on South Garfield street when I was 3.
What did you want to 'be' when you grew up? A writer, a singer, and at one point, a cake decorator.
Were you a good kid? What would your parents say you were? I was a really good kid, actually. My parents always talk about how they never had to spank me, lol.
What were your favourite toys to play with? Polly Pockets, any puppy or kitty-themed toys, stuffed animals, my tiny wooden mouse that I carried everywhere ("Mousy John")
Who, or what, was your favourite cartoon character as a child? I really liked Rugrats
What was your first day of school like? I can't really remember...it must have been okay.
How often did your family move before you turned 16 (or age are now)? My family lived in four different towns while I lived with them
Did you have a babysitter? What was their name? Yeah. Nita Kerr was our babysitter when Matt and I were really little.
Did you ever have slumber parties/sleepovers? What did you do in them? I remember having some friends spend the night, but I never really had a big slumber party.
Were you ever bullied? If so, for what reason? Not really.
What was the name of your best friend? In kindergarten, Tasha Watts. For most of elementary school, it was Krystal Walker.
What was your favourite subject in school? English, music.
Did you ever sneak out of the house? If so, where did you go? Nope.
How often were you sent to the Principals/Headmasters office? Never?
What was it for ^? Actually, I think once I had to go to the principal's office, but it was because someone stole my flute.
Who was your celebrity/TV/film idols? I didn't really have any "idols"
Before graduation (or now if not there yet) how many people'd you dated? Four.
What do you remember most about your childhood? Playing with my brothers.
Would your teachers say you were a good kid? Yeah.
Do you still wish you were a kid? Not really. Sometimes, but only because I miss the lack of responsibility.
- Family -
Have you ever traced your ancestory? What did you find? Yes. For one of my classes in high school, I traced it back several centuries. I found that I was related to a few noteworthy people, but I can't remember who...
What nationality are you? Irish, Scottish, German, and English.
Did you/do you know your grandparents well? Do you get along? Yes. I knew all of them well, with the exception of my Grandma Landon because she was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's disease most of my life.
Do you like your name? If not, what would you like it to be? Yeah.
Do you look more like your Mum or Dad? My Dad, mostly.
Do you act/have personality traits more like your Mum or Dad? My Mom, mostly.
5 words to describe your Mum? Sweet, smart, caring, worrier, mellow
5 words to describe your Dad? Wise, funny, creative, forgetful, loving
Are you a *close* family? Yes.
How often do you see your Mum/Dad/Sister/Brother? I see my parents pretty often--usually once a month. I don't see my brothers very often during the school year--pretty much just during holidays.
Which family member are you closest to? My mom.
Does your family have a nickname for you? What is it? My parents call me Sissy or Aim
How often did you go on vacation/holiday? Where'd you go? When I was younger, we used to go on vacation every summer. We loved camping trips. South Dakota was the state we visited the most.
Were your parents strict? Not really.
What is your family most proud of you for? I think they're pretty proud that I'm doing well in school and keeping up with my writing, because they know that's what I'm passionate about.
How old do you want to be when you get married? I'm already married.
Have kids? 25ish
Do you have names picked out for your future children? What are they? I have some ideas. I like William (Liam for short) for a boy, and Leah or Elizabeth for a girl...I can't decide which I like more. Too bad I probably won't have any girls!
How many sisters do you have? Full, half or step? None.
How many brothers do you have? Full, half, step? Two.
- Friendship -
Who is your best friend? Why are they your best friend? Carissa and Katie. Because I can be myself around them and tell them anything, and they're both amazing.
Are you closer to male friends or female friends? Why? Right now, female friends...simply because I don't really have any male friends.
Are your closest friends similar to you or the opposite? Opposite.
How would your friends describe you when angry? Flustered.
Happy? Maybe bubbly? Definitely more talkative.
Sad? Quiet.
When was the last time you fought with a friend? What was it about? The last time I remember having a fight with a friend was when I was seventeen...Danielle and I had a big fight at church camp.
How and/or where did you meet most of your friends? School and church.
- Career -
What occupations do your parents have? My mom is a secretary and my Dad is a court reporter and minister
How about your siblings? Both of my brothers are full time students. During the summer, Grant worked with kids at the YMCA and Matt worked at the movie theater.
Do you have a job? What is it? Yep...Applebees host. Whoohoo.
What job suits your personality the most? Everyone told me my last job suited me a lot--working at a cookie store.
What job do you refuse to do? Why? I don't know...anything with heavy manual labor because I'm a huge wimp.
How many different jobs have you had so far? Four.
What, if anything, did you study at College/Uni? What would you like to? I'm studying English. I would like to be a writer and/or an editor.
Does your current job involve the above subject? Not at all, sadly.
Did you do work experience at school? What did you do? If that's the same thing as work study, no.
Would you make a good boss? Why or why not? Ehh, probably not. I'm not firm enough...or decisive enough.
Do you have a gender preference with who your superiors/coworkers are? No.
Would you sleep your way to the top? No.
Do you still want to do what you wished you could do as a kid? Yep.

And now I'm off to do homework for the rest of the night. Yippee.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I love September

It is so gorgeous outside. I love September! As much as I want true sweater-weather to get here (highs in the 60s rather than 70-80s), the weather we've been having lately is fantastic. I think I might have to do some homework out on the deck today.

So, I'm not sure how I feel about this play that I'm writing.

Surprisingly, I'm not experiencing any writer's block, which is usually oh-so-typical for me the day before an assignment is due. I'm getting through the thing okay...I just think it sucks. Well, no, it doesn't suck...it's just...I don't know, not as good as it could be? My biggest problem is that it's not very funny, as far as comedies go. My second biggest problem is that the plot is a little dull...at least when compared to the Aristotelian plays that we're supposed to model ours after. Meh. Hopefully we don't have to share them with the class.

Oh, remember the live feed that I intended to listen to while I was home sick last Wednesday? It stopped working ten minutes into the reading. Man, was I pissed! Ten minutes out of one hour is not enough to get me through my one-page reflection...so I have to go to a random reading of my choice to make up for it. /sigh



1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? If it was a house to live in, just outside of Iowa City. It if was a vacation house, somewhere warmer and near an ocean...Florida, perhaps.
2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? Right now I'm loving the pj pants I just bought. They have an adorable owl on them that matches my owl robe, and they are the most comfortable pants I've ever put on.
3. FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? Hands.
4. WHAT'S THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? I can't remember...
5. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? My parents' house. Preferably with the whole family there, and with weather that's chilly enough for there to be a fire in the fireplace.
6. WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? Applebees. lol!
7. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? Upper back/shoulder area.
8. STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY? Mind.
9. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING? Depends on the day. Anywhere between 8:00 and 10:00.
10. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? Coffee maker!
11. WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? Feeling stressed out.
12. IF YOU COULD PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I can already play several. If I could play something another one that I've never attempted, it would be the harp.
13. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Green.
14. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? SUV...seems safer.
15. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE? Yeah.
16. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Ooh, tough one. I really liked The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I loved the Nancy Drew series...I have very fond memories of reading old copies that belonged to my Grandma.
17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Fall.
18. WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD ITEM? Ironing board. It's old and annoying to set up and put away.
19. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Healing powers would be cool. Then we wouldn't have to worry about not having health insurance! lol
20. IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT? I don't have one.
21. CAN YOU JUGGLE? I've never really tried...but probably not. I'm not very coordinated.
22. THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? Grandma Landon, before she had Alzheimer's disease.
23. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? Friday. Only one class and I don't work Fridays anymore!
24. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? A bookshelf, some random car stuff--jumper cables, wiper fluid, etc.
25. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? I love both! Sushi is sounding pretty good, though.
26. OF THE PEOPLE YOU E-MAILED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I'm not emailing it to anyone.
27. WHO'S LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ^
28. WHAT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY? 11/24/87
29. WHAT'S YOUR FULL NAME? Amy Renee Locke. Wow, I have a lot of vowels in my name.
30. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY? Our wedding day.

...Okay, back to work on the crappy play.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Feeling Icky...

I've never been prone to headaches...I hardly ever take any pills for them. But in the last couple days, I've found myself frequently reaching for the Aleve in our medicine cabinet. It helped yesterday...not working so great tonight. And I'm starting to have that icky cold-body hot-face feeling. I feel a little guilty about this, but I've decided to stay home from the reading I'm supposed to go to tonight. Prairie Lights is supposed to have a live stream of the reading on their website anyway, so I fully intend to listen to it while I lie in bed with a cup of cinnamon tea.

I don't even have the energy to sit here and fill out a silly survey...wow, I must be getting sick.

Friday, September 4, 2009

FALL!

I'm so excited for fall! Here are a bunch of reasons why you should be excited, too:
-Sweater weather. I love when it's cool enough to wear a sweater, but not so cold that you have to wear a coat, too.
-Fall scented candles. I'm burning "pumpkin spice" right now.
-My birthday!
-Thanksgiving!
-All the fall-ish things to bake and cook. Pot roasts, beef stew, apple crisp, apple cider, spice cookies...need I go on?
-The gorgeous colors of fall.
-That amazing crispness in the air.

I'm getting so excited that I was actually disappointed to see that it's going to be really warm for the next week and a half. /sigh. I should just be patient and enjoy the last few weeks of summer...because we all know that when December rolls around, I'll be begging this weather to come back.


What year do you graduate?
2010!

Did you sleep alone last night?
Nope. My husband actually went to bed with me for a change! That doesn't happen often, given his work schedule...

Wearing any bracelets?
Nope.

Honestly, have you ever eaten raw cookie dough?
Plenty of times.

Who was the last person that you said "i love you" to?
Jordan.

Do you crack your knuckles?
Yep.

Spell your name without an L:
Amy Ocke.

How many text messages are currently in your inbox?
Who knows.

Did you copy and paste this survey?
Yes.

How late did you stay up last night and why?
12:30. I was finishing Sense and Sensibility for class today.

Is there anyone who doesn't like you?
Probably.

Have you kissed anyone today?
Yep.

Whats your favorite color?
Green.

Have you ever thrown a shoe at someone?
Yeah. Flip flops and slippers, especially.

Do you like to have long hair or short hair?
I'm loving my short hair. I wish it didn't grow so fast...I already need to have it trimmed.

Who's car were you in last and who were you with?
My car with Katie and Sara.

Would you ever consider piercing your lip?
No.

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
Perhaps.

If you walk by a mirror, will you check yourself out in it?
Most of the time.

What would you do if a stranger came up to you and said you are the most attractive person they have seen?
I would laugh and say "I highly doubt that."

Where are you tickelish?
Yes.

If you could change your eye color would you?
Maybe.

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
Not really.

How long have you been single and available?
I'm not. I haven't been for a long time.

Where did you get the jeans that you're wearing?
Old Navy.

Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?
Nope.

When were you on the phone last and with who?
Yesterday, with Katie.

Is your hair naturally straight or curly?
Straight.

You miss somebody right now?
Yeah.

Would you go in public looking like you do right now?
I'd rather not--my hair is wet and I don't have any makeup on.

Does anyone know your passwords other than you?
Jordan. Carissa and Katie probably do, too, since I generally use the same one over and over.

Last sporting event you watched on tv or in person?
Um? I don't remember.

Can you swear inside your house?
Yeah.

What color is your bra or boxers?
Pink.

Do you like your peanut butter crunchy or creamy?
Crunchy.

Where did you get that shirt you're wearing?
JCPenney

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Unwinding

I just finished a brilliant novel that made my head hurt just a bit...time to unwind.

1 What's the last thing you put in your mouth?
Pizza rolls.

2. Have you ever kissed anyone named Matthew?
No.

3 Where was your profile picture taken?
Old apartment.

4 Who was the last person you rode in a car with under the age of 20?
Spencer.

5 Can you play guitar hero?
I've only played it once.

6 Last time you walked further than a block?
Yesterday.

7 Name someone that made you laugh today?
Jordan.

8 How late did you stay up last night and why?
3:30, eek. I was reading. The reading was actually homework that I was trying to catch up on, but the book started to get so good that I felt like I was reading for fun. :)

9 If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Not right now--I kind of need to be in Iowa City until I graduate, at least.

10. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Oh, probably. It obviously wasn't anything too memorable, though.

11. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Sure.

12 Do you like calling or texting better?
Meh...it depends. I'm not a huge fan of either, really.

13 How do you feel about Diet Dr Pepper?
I don't think I've ever had it. It probably tastes gross, though, like all diet pop.

14 When was the last time you cried really hard?
I can't remember the specific cause.

15 Where is your biological father right now?
In Burlington.

16 Where are you right now?
In our bedroom.

17 What bed did you sleep in last night?
Ours.

18 What was the last thing someone bought for you?
A quarter pounder from McDonalds.

19 Who took your profile picture?
I did.

20 Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Jordan and myself, I think.

21 Was yesterday better than today?
Nah, today's been better. Even though I had to get up for work, I've had a nice relaxing afternoon/evening of reading.

22 Can you live a day without TV?
Yeah. Now that I'm back in school, I hardly ever turn it on.

23 Are you a bad influence?
I don't think so.

24 What items could you not go without during the day?
It depends on what I have to do that day. Generally speaking, things to eat/drink...toilet paper...lol.

26 Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
I think it was Jordan. That was a year and a half ago, but I don't think I've visited anyone in the hospital since then.

27 What does the last text message in your inbox say?
"The Betrayer of Humanity has a 17% drop rate. Can we help you with anything else tonight? Keep ChaChaing!"

28 What are you wearing?
Sweatpants and a t-shirt.

30 If we were to look in your inbox, what would we find?
My email inbox? For my yahoo account, lots of facebook notifications that I haven't bothered to delete. For my university account, lots of student activity emails that I haven't bothered to delete.

31 Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yeah.

32 What song is stuck in your head?
What if You by Joshua Radin.

33 Someone knocks on your window at 2 am, who do you want it to be?
Jordan or Bryant or Spencer, wanting to be let in because they forgot their key. If it was anyone else, I'd be freaked out.

34 Who was your last missed call on your cell phone?
My mom.

35 Can you handle the truth?
Yeah.

36 What was the last book you read? and finished???
Await Your Reply by Don Chaon. Fantastic book.

37 Is there something you always wear?
My wedding rings.

38 Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yeah.

39 What's something that can always make you feel better?
I have a few go-to things...sometimes one is more appropriate than another. Music, Jordan, and reading are my top three, in no particular order.

40 What do you want right now?
A strawberry milkshake.

41 Look behind you, what do you see?
Jordan's desk.

42 Have you ever worked in a food place?
Yeah. In the past three and a half years, all my jobs have been at "food places."

43. Did you answer all this without fibbing?
Yep.