The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

The fabulous My MRKH Musings has nominated me for this fabulous award! Thank you! I am finally getting round to doing my post!

The Rules:

1. Link to the person who nominated you.
2. Add the award logo.
3. Answer the questions your nominator asked.
4. Nominate 7 other blogs.
5. Ask your nominees 10 questions.

Here are my answers:

If you were a character in any book who would you be and why?

Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing really resonated with me. She’s all woman, but her line, O, to be a man! leapt out at me. She wears her heart on her sleeve, but beyond the cuff there’s a punch at the ready. She’s a foxy tomboy, and I want to be one too.

Chocolate or cheese, which would you give up if you had to?

I hate this question. I’ve been asked it before and I never have an answer. Can I negotiate giving up white and milk chocolate (say, anything under 60% cacao) and cow’s milk cheese (leaving me with goat and sheep varieties) instead?

Urgh, okay, I give up cheese. And you get a stinkeye.

What is your beverage of choice, boozy or not?

I have so many. Depending on the time of day or my mood….

I love the coffee my husband brings me in bed as I breastfeed. Fresh ground beans from Cafe Moto here in San Diego poured over heated milk. I either slurp it quickly when V is dozing or savour it lukewarm as she nurses. Having given up coffee in August 2013 (in anticipation of IVF-which-turned-into-DEIVF) until October 2014, I think I appreciate it all the more.

I cherish the Waitrose tea I beg people to bring me when they come over from the UK. (Waitrose is a higher-end supermarket and their own-label tea is excellent quality and value.) I enjoy their Gold tea when I want something comforting and reviving. The malty boldness of an earthy Assam is cut by a sweet sharpness that reminds me of a Darjeeling. Only in the afternoons do I drink their Earl Grey, which I usually enjoy with a piece of chocolate. And a friend I met through this blog just sent me — among other things — a box of Barry Tea, which I am really enjoying.

Rioja is my go-to red wine. I love its oakiness, the chalky feel of the tannins in my mouth. The berry flavour without sourness of a Cabernet; the red velvet feel without the heavy curtains of a Merlot (I do not like Merlot or Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon). Rioja is the wine I grew up drinking and it is the wine I compare all others to as a point of reference. I also enjoy Ribera del Duero, Bordeaux, Nero d’Avola, and the occasional Malbec.

I also enjoy a crisp white wine, dry, not too fruity. I am still learning about white and rosé wines. So far I like a Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris, and, of course, champagne / cava. I do not like Chardonnay.

And, while I have you, I personally think that even with the costs of importing foreign wine, Europe does a much better job at producing a decent bottle for $15. To get a palatable California wine, IMHO you have to spend almost twice that. It makes no sense to me.

When it comes to cocktails, I love bourbon. Small batch — not Jack Daniels — either muddled with peaches, or on the rocks with lemon juice (simple whiskey sour).

Where was your last holiday/Where did you honeymoon?

In the 15 years we’ve been together, DH and I have only ever been on holiday once and that was our honeymoon. (I guess that’s what happens when at least one of you lives thousands of miles away from family — any paid time off and/or travel funds go towards visiting family.) We spent a week in Buenos Aires. It was wonderful. We explored a new city and lived like kings for a week. We’d love to go back

Side note: we will be celebrating our 10th (tenth!) wedding anniversary in June. V will still be quite young so we’re only going to be away for two nights. (This separation will be both the best part and the worst part of our trip!) We’re exploring ideas on where to go: Pacific North-West? Resort in Mexico? (We’re decidedly NOT resort people, preferring character and charm, but apparently my SIL’s FIL can hook us up with a $79 per night all-inclusive deal, which is hard to turn down…) Somewhere else within a short flying distance of San Diego? Where would you go?

Who is your weirdest celebrity crush?

I’m not really into the whole celebrity thing. But there are a few people whose performances I adore and would love to spend an evening with: Bette Midler, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Idris Elba, and Johnny Depp.

Speaking of, here is a gratuitous photo of me aged 17 with Johnny Depp:

Edit: STEVE BUSCEMI!! He is my weird celebrity crush!

What is your single woman behaviour?

I don’t really understand this question. My behaviour as a woman when I am single? No different. Perhaps ever so slightly less flirtatious. A behaviour that makes me singularly woman? Er, I dunno.

What three things can’t you live without?

Good company, good food, and good music.

What is your dream job?

As a kid I always dreamed of being a mom. Whatever career I had would be secondary to that, so in that sense I finally have my dream job.

In terms of career, if I could make a living as an artist I’d be very happy.

I’m currently trying to make it as a graphic designer — a career change I decided to make after I got laid off in the recession. Things were going well until I miscarried. Then I lost momentum as I kept being diagnosed with more complicated things than the last. I’m slowly building up my client base, but still have a long way to go.

Having said that, I always come back to writing. They say the difference between a graphic designer and an illustrator is that a graphic designer has to know how to write. I actually worked on a really long writing project throughout my entire pregnancy, but I can’t tell anyone about it because I signed a non-disclosure agreement…! But it got me thinking: maybe I should explore writing. I just don’t know what I would write about. These days, all I seem to write about is miscarriage / infertility / donor eggs / and being a mom after all that. Maybe this community needs more voices to extend beyond its walls, but is that what I want to be known for?

Name three things in your handbag right now

I consider myself extremely grateful not to be using a handbag right now, but a diaper bag. My three items include a tiny pair of sunglasses; a breastfeeding cover which my mum affectionately calls my burka*; and a red kikoi — a beautiful cotton scarf from Tanzania that my then-boss-now-friend picked out for me. It goes with e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

* Personally, I couldn’t give a shit who sees my boobs, but people in America can be quite uptight — and hypocritically so — and I don’t want to deal with that.

What is the craziest baby name you would love to use but won’t/can’t and why not?

I would have put Indigo (“Indy”) up for serious consideration had Baby B made it. DH never would have gone for it. So Indigo is V’s little twin who didn’t make it.

But when I was 14 and in love with River Phoenix I decided I would call my daughter Autumn Rain. LOLZ, I thought I was so out there and cool, ha ha ha!

♥

My nominations are as follows:

And I’m putting ten because everything else is ten…

1. Yet Another Bitter Infertile
2. Rain Before Rainbow
3. My Invincible Spring
4. Project Sweet Pea
5. Two Adults, One Child
6. Torthúil
7. Second Bedroom
8. DellaQuella
9. Ms. Baby-Makin’
10. My Cheap Version of Therapy

Okay, ladies, your 10 questions are:

1. What is something you are really good at?
2. What do you wish you were better at?
3. What has your loss / infertility journey taught you about life?
4. Paper diary or digital calendar?
5. Where did you meet your other half?
6. What are you wearing right now?
7. When did you discover you could write?
8. What is your favourite time of day, and why?
9. What piece of wisdom would you give your ten-year-old self?
10. What’s the farthest from home you’ve travelled?

And if I didn’t tag you, feel free to answer my 10 questions below! I’d love to know what you’d say xo