Smokey Mountain Breakdown

I am tagged by Erica for "The Six Weird Things About Me" meme. I actually nominated myself since it's Sunday and a slow news day in Grassy Fork. You may nominate yourself for tagging if you so desire.

1. I will eat almost anything.

I say almost, since I haven't ever really run into anything that I've turned my nose up at yet, but I reserve the right to do so. Don't believe me? Check out my recipes for Coon de Resistance and Possum Superbe.

This really has more to do with my upbringing than anything else. I grew up in a family of hunters and fishermen. I was a crack shot hunting squirrel by the age of 7. And squirrel remains my favorite game. Mmmmm...squirrels 'n gravy on biscuits. My mother exposed me to a wide range of foodstuffs at a very early age. All sorts of ethnic cuisines and assorted organ meats. And raw oysters were a staple.

So, I ate tripe in Caen, winkle bread in Wales, lardy cake, jellied eels...the list goes on and on. I'm particularly fond of a runny, stinky French cheese that is more pungent than limburger. I'm very envious of the Bizarre foods guy, Andrew Zimmern and wonder if I could have choked down that durian fruit he couldn't stomach. Betcha I could. I might have even enjoyed it. I also have a huge crush on Anthony Bourdain. Damn. That man will eat anything!

2. I'm 45 and an enormous Anime freak.

Yes. It's true. I got suckered into it during a bout of insomnia that lasted a week. I blame the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Anyway...that's my guilty pleasure. Samurai Seven is one of my most favorite ones. I'm watching Basilisk right now. Others that I really like are Full Metal Alchemist, Trigun, Samurai Deeper Kyo and Mirage of Blaze. I generally like things with darker and/or more serious historical content and yaoi.

I also love older foreign films, particularly Japanese films and German Expressionism, but anime is what I use for pure entertainment value. The other weird thing about my fascination with anime is I get crushes on my favorite characters.

Scott looks at me oddly and says..."But it's a cartoon!?"

But that's why my Netflix queue isn't on my blog. It's because I'm watching cartoons with a smattering of Kurosawa. Even I'm aware of how weird it is.

3. I talk to my animals...then answer for them.

I just hung out with too many puppeteers when I was younger. Or I'm a frustrated voice-over actor. Talking to one's animals is not in itself "weird". But I make up voices for each of them. When I talk to them, they answer me back in their "voice". I can have lengthy conversations with my animals this way.

4. I've always wanted to be from another nationality or ethnicity.

First, I wanted to be English...but then I lived over there and changed my mind. I married a Brit and that sort of cured me of that little predilection. But I love the French. I'd so love to be French. I so identify with their sense of priorities and I'd love to be as snarky as a Parisian. And I'd love to be Japanese. I'd really love to have glossy black hair and almond-shaped eyes. I'd never be able to hack it in their culture...but I'd love to look like that.

5. I lack a sternum.

No, I don't keep it in a jar by my bed...but I'd have liked to if the choice had been presented to me.

6. I didn't eat popcorn from ages 6 to 19.

This was because I got pneumonia after eating popcorn while watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. My personal experience with the awesome power of magical thinking and misplaced "cause and effect."