eight random facts

Just as Stephanie has been having an affair with her kitchen, I have been having an affair with the un-food blogosphere. That's right, you heard me. Every day, I wake up and read sometimes poignant, always amusing stories about being a wife, a mom and a writer in Salt Lake City, or what's the best thing to wear to a summer job interview. I read two music blogs (and I'm especially partial to the one about this guy with brain damage making an album). I read about trying to save the Earth, one family at a time, and about trying to make it as a writer -- of plays, TV, and movies -- in L.A. And that last blog, that's the one to blame for this meme, which is now crossing over, like the virus it is, into the food blogosphere.  (Or maybe it's already been here...?)

All you do is set out 8 random facts about yourself, and then tag 8 people. That's a lot of people mad at you. Couldn't you just get 7 years of bad luck instead? I know, I know, gripe gripe gripe. But it's Sunday morning, I don't feel like working on the piece that's now 4 days overdue (gulp) and it's too early go and buy a breakfast cupcake right across the street. So, here goes.

1. I bite my nails. Right down to the quick, if I can. My mother tried everything to get me to stop (except stopping herself -- monkey see, monkey do!) but I never could, so for the last 8 years or something I've had fake ones. Most people can't tell because I keep them super duper short and I don't paint stupid things like flowers and sunsets on them.

2. When I was 17, I asked my mom if I could get a hysterectomy for my 18th birthday. Nice, eh? I guess teenage girls aren't supposed to want to have kids, but at least a girl can change her mind. (p.s. She said no.)

3. If I ever get married -- and I'm not saying I will, all you who're listening for hints and clues -- I plan to elope in a bright red dress. From what I've seen, the planning is about as fun as having a fungal toenail extracted with blunt pliers, and besides, as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing happy about white unless you're a glass of red wine with an attitude problem.

4. I once won a dance competition by performing most of the video of Cold Hearted Snake. Snap!

5. I grew up in Virginia, but I don't have a Southern accent. Everybody else who lives there thinks they don't either, but actually they do. (Except my sister. She and I both skedaddled off to Europe after college, maybe that's why.)

6. My first bicycle was purple. It was the only one in the entire city and my poor parents had to scour every bike shop to find it. But I loved it.

7. When I was 4, I had a huge crush on Bryan Bridges. I used to chase him around the playground at nursery school with my friend, Maureen, and if we caught him we'd kiss him. (We'd alternate the kissing because she liked him, too.) I'd also spell out his initials B.B. with maple syrup on my pancakes in the morning.

8. My middle name is Winslow, and it comes from my grandmother's mother's side of the family. They came from a tiny smudge in the road called Winfall, North Carolina, but they're descended from the Bull family of New York. I think the Bulls go back to Plymouth Rock or something, and supposedly someone somewhere goes back to Marie Antoinette, but I'm not sure (although that might explain the clothes fetish).

Now I'm supposed to tag people. This is the part I hate. But I'm doing it anyway, and if you don't want to do the meme just take your 7 years of bad luck like a good girl and leave me out of it. Tea, Tiffany, Cookiecrumb, Stephanie, Emily, Sam, Fatemeh, Joy.

Comments

[Pam]

Hi! I learned about you from Cookiecrumb and I think we have a family connection as my grandmother's maiden name was Bull and she came from New York. I live now in Point Richmond, across the bay from you, just north of Berkeley. One of my aunts has the whole family tree but I have to admit I've had only a passing interest. Anyway, fun to read your blog and, well, thanks!

[Catherine]

Pam -- my grandmother keeps our family tree. If you are a Bull, then we are definitely related somehow! Thanks for saying hi.

[Cynthia]

Laugh-out-loud funny

[malachy walsh]

Nice.

[little sister]

Actually, it is Napoleon via Josephine Bonaparte whom we are (supposedly) related to, and we also had relatives on the mayflower (edward winslowe, hence your name).

[Tiffany]

How fun to get to know you better. Love the Cold Hearted Snake detail, and I wholeheartedly agree that eloping in a red dress is a fine way to take the plunge! (Kinda wish I had.)

[Pam]

We even have what we call the "Bull Bowl" in our family (my brother has it), a big oval silver bowl with two bull's heads on either end. It's truly hideous but we all love it anyway - the cat used to curl up inside it for naps. So, howdy, cousin! I'll enjoy reading your blog from time to time! Cheers!

[mom]

Pam---Actually, we are "straight line Bulls," descended from the Bulls in upstate New York where the old stone house is & where the ass'n meets every summer. How nice to connect with some kith-n-kin! Ms Food Musings is named for a great-great grandmother, Catherine Bull Crawford!

[Pam]

I'm not sure about the Bull connection in our family, except my grandmother on my mom's side's maiden name (whew!) was Bull. Marion Frances Bull. I think her father was James Edgar Bull. Ring a bell?

[Doug]

I like the cold hearted snake one as well - can you imagine what that video would be worth today!!

[mom]

Pam--Check out the link to the Bull family in #8 of the blog. They're the ones we're connected to--in Orange County, NY. I didn't recognize the names you mentioned, but that doesn't mean anything--I don't know a whole lot about the family background.

[Pam]

I checked out the link but I think we must be a branch, since our ancestors are from the NYC area and I couldn't find any names there that sounded familiar. However, I enjoyed the Old Stone House pictures and the story of the first Bull in this country. I have a tall Victorian grandfather clock that was owned by Professor Richard H. Bull, a prof at NYU and one of our ancestors. Prized possession.

[Maureen Brand]

Hi Catherine! I stumbled across your blog and just 3 entries into it, I read this entry about your purple bike and Brian Bridges!! LOL I remember riding bikes together and chasing Brian Bridges (didn't you have a chant that went "Brian, Brian, turtle, lion" or something to that effect?

[Catherine]

Maureen! So good to hear from you! I don't remember that chant, but, my, isn't it poetic? What in the world could it have meant?! I also remember playing superheroes (in your backyard, or Julie's) and the time you convinced me you were having a sleepover that started at midnight, and I got all excited and asked my mom if she could go, and she played along.

[LinJ47]

Hi,

My husband is a 9th Generation, Sarah Wells and William Bull Descendant. His branch of this family is from the Line of John Bull. The Bull Stone House is in Hamptonburgh, Orange Co, NY.It is in great condition and 8th generation cousins still reside there.

We have family reunions every August where you can meet anywhere from 200 to over 700 of your Bull family cousins. If you would like more info on the Bull family or would like to research your particular line of ancestors, please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to help you. We also have a new website:

bullstonehouse.org

and a new update message board at this web address:

http://bullforum.globalredirect.com/

Come on back to the "Herd"! The Bulls will be glad to see ya!

Cheers,
Linda J. Barnes
9th Generation - Line of John Bull "In-Law"
grafinthree@comcast.net

[LinJ47]

Hi,

My husband is a 9th Generation, Sarah Wells and William Bull Descendant. His branch of this family is from the Line of John Bull. The Bull Stone House is in Hamptonburgh, Orange Co, NY.It is in great condition and 8th generation cousins still reside there.

We have family reunions every August where you can meet anywhere from 200 to over 700 of your Bull family cousins. If you would like more info on the Bull family or would like to research your particular line of ancestors, please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to help you. We also have a new website:

bullstonehouse.org

and a new update message board at this web address:

http://bullforum.globalredirect.com/

Come on back to the "Herd"! The Bulls will be glad to see ya!

Cheers,
Linda J. Barnes
9th Generation - Line of John Bull "In-Law"
grafinthree@comcast.net