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HunkyDoryIt’s a weird and wonderful thing to be a living family that spans two centuries. My husband and I come from the 1970s, while our kids are born and raised in the 2000s. They have never known a world without wi-fi, on-demand TV and artisan pizza.

They casually FaceTime their grandparents half a world and ten time zones away, and when they say goodbye they do not marvel like I do at the technological wonders of 21st century connectivity. They believe most minor problems can be solved by Amazon, and they know they had better stay on top of their homework and their grades because we can access all that information any time we want with just a few key strokes.

Sometimes I long for the simplicity of the late 1900s. Handwritten letters, cameras with film and rotary dial phones meant life was slower and less immediate. Less reacting, more thinking.

Also less connection.

If there’s one thing I have embraced with arms flung wide in this new millennium it’s the seemingly limitless power to connect. Over broadband and wi-fi and satellite. Through text and email and social networks. With hi-res photos and hi-def video and hundreds and thousands of weightless words flying like so many graceful cranes through space.

It is in this infinite space of connection that I encountered Kelly, a fellow blogger and now friend. Kelly writes the often hilarious and always real stories of her life with wit and heart at Just Typikel. I admire and aspire to her humorous and pragmatic approach to life’s inevitable chaos and I was delighted when she tagged me in a blog challenge. More fun ways to connect! 

Four names people call me other than my real name:

Nix. This shortened, affectionate form of my name is my favorite. It means we are friends and comfortable with each other, and really I wish everyone I know would call me Nix. Or Nick. That works too.

Mom. It’s usually Mom, sometimes Mama, hardly ever Mommy. I will answer to all. But not if they whine it.

My darling child. Obviously only my mother calls me this, and usually at the beginning or end of a conversation. It is a sweet reminder that someone else on this earth is responsible for me.

Crazy. This is recent and has everything to do with my impending swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco in shark-infested waters.

Four jobs I’ve had:

English tutor.

Waitress. For maybe a minute.

Client Services something or other.

Event Planner.

I always wanted to work in a book store. I still do.

Four movies I would watch/have watched more than once:

Pollyanna. This was my sister and my favorite movie when we were kids and we can still recite the entire movie by heart, complete with tone and inflections.

Grease.  Another favorite. Another one we know by heart, including all the Travolterrific dance moves.

Say Anything.

Dirty Dancing.

Clearly I heart the 80s.

Four books I would recommend:

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. I still love reading this to my kids. The hands-off mommy owl reminds me of me.

Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life. Kate Atkinson could write gibberish on toilet paper and I would love every word. This book is magnificent.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. Read it. Now.

The Martian by Andy Weir. This is the last book I read and I loved it so much I insisted my 14-year-old son read it. I forgot the opening sentence is, “I’m pretty much fucked.” My son was hooked.

Four places I have lived:

Pretoria, South Africa: My hometown.

Grahamstown, South Africa: My college town.

Ra’anana, Israel: The place I grew up.

San Francisco, USA: Where it all began.

Four places I have been:

Austin, TX. I love Austin for the fun, food, friends. And red boots.

Nashville, TN. Country “Music City.” The perfect place to wear red boots.

Sydney, Australia. My family has a real affection for all things Aussie.

Edinburgh, Scotland. Kilts, Highlanders, accent. Och, say no more.

Four places I would rather be right now:

I can say with complete honesty and utter surprise that there is nowhere I would rather be than right where I am.

Four things I don’t eat:

Tongue.

Pork.

Shellfish.

Eel.

Four of my favorite foods:

Hamburgers.

Truffle brie cheese.

Hot, buttered toast with jelly.

My sister’s chocolate cake. Especially the frosting.

Four television shows that I watch:

Nashville

Orange Is The New Black

The Good Wife

Anything with Jon Hamm.

Four things that I’m looking forward to this year:

The end of Halloween.

Swimming from Alcatraz… Tomorrow!

Reading Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel, Purity.

Winter break at home.

Four things I’m always saying:

Wash your hands. With soap.

Sorry is sorry.

#FWP (as in First World Problems).

Oy.

This is a Finish the Sentence Friday post, where writers and bloggers gather together to share their versions of a completed sentence. This week’s prompt was, “In 1,000 years from now…” Hosted by Kristi of Finding Ninee, and co-hosted by Lizzi of Considerings and Dana of Kiss My List. In 1,000 years from now perhaps someone will stumble on this old-fashioned blog post and wonder why the hell people needed to wash their hands. With soap.

I am tagging three wonderful bloggers to answer these same questions and to keep the connection going as long and far as possible:

Kristi of Finding Ninee. Kristi is the engine behind Finish the Sentence Friday and an extrordinary blogger whose thoughts and words squeeze my heart every time and leave me feeling all the feels.

Dana of the wonderful Kiss My List. I wish I lived next door to Dana or at least within driving distance. Her “moderately snarky,” always entertaining, unique approach to everything is always just what I need.

Jason Gilbert’s The Blog That Killed JFG is a masterpiece of exquisite photographic essays that weave wit and humor with everything that is raw and real. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with here (no pressure JFG ;)).

24 thoughts on “Current Status:”

  3. You’re amazing, you know that? LOL to somebody in 1,000 years wondering why we have to say “wash your hands. with soap.” so often. Huge good luck in the swim today – you’ll be amazing. Also I haven’t read any of your favorite books so must remedy that! xoxo

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  5. I wish you lived next door too, Nix! First, YAY!!! to your awesome swim. I’m so proud of you. Second, we have similar taste…Grease, Dirty Dancing, The Good Wife, The Martian, working in a bookstore: YES! A big NO to brie cheese – you can have mine.

    Thanks for tagging me – this will be a great post idea for when I have writer’s block. Which is most of the time, lately!

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  6. The nickname “Nix” is awesome. I too am a child of the 70’s/80’s and love most of the same! My 6 yr old son has a weird affinity for the 80’s- loves Ghostbusters, CHiPs, and Axel F (theme song from Beverly Hills Cop). My 3 yr old’s favorite movie is The Princess Bride. We just showed them E.T. for Halloween. So we are definitely trying to keep the 80’s relevant!

    I had a crazy job working at a Hollywood talent agency after college. I used to dream about quitting and getting a job at Book Soup, this awesome little book store on Sunset Blvd. I even got an application, but it was so intense I could never finish filling it out. For example: Who is your favorite character from literature and why? I could never pick just one.

    Loved getting to know you better through this!

    And shark-infested waters- WHAT? 😉

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    • Yes to keeping the 80s relevant! Love that ! My boys are into the A-Team :). And The Princess Bride… be still my heart! “As you wish.”
      “Shark-infested” may be a slight exaggeration – there was one shark, a Great White, and he had gone by the time we swam thank goodness!

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  8. I had the same issue with The Martian and my 12 year old son – but he loved that I’d recommended a book with swearing in it. My “coolness index” shot up, and it IS a great book. He’s now downloaded lots of the 1970s disco classics mentioned in it too, so it has been a musical education too 🙂

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    • The swim was amazing. And hard. And amazing :). I haven’t read that but I will. I recently read Find A Way by the swimmer Diana Nyad and found that to be exceptional! Thank you for the rec :).

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  12. I couldn’t understand why I missed this… but then I remembered.. I was just home after surgery… thanks to someone on FB this morning who posted the memory to my timeline… you better go and have a look what he said ;)>. You arrived in SA 2 days later – I remember it well! Loved this essay. Love you, my child, to the moon and back xxx

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