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Friday, August 18, 2006
This post is for Dot.Hello, Dot! I hope you're enjoying the Internets today!
All About the Tile
Tomorrow is Tile Setting Day. Sunday is Grout Day. Woo! Today is Mario Rocks at Glass-Cutting-Tool Bargain Shopping Day, because he just saved me $70.
So I was hanging with my young boyfriend's young friends, who are more multicultural than me and my friends, and they're asking me about my renovations. Lyra, who is half Paki and half Greek, says, "So what are you putting on your kitchen counters, then?"
I say, "Tile."
Michard, who is half Portuguese and half Spanish, says, "Just like a damned Mexican."
Me (plain old half Mexican and half white) says, "That's right."
Lyra says, "What? Tile counters are pretty!"
Michard says, "You're just saying that 'cause you're Middle Eastern."
This is why it's good to have multicultural friends, you guys. Twice the stereotypes, twice the fun!
Pictures of the tile tomorrow on Flickr...
Fantasies
1. I used to fantasize that I secretly knew every language in the world. That way, I could help people communicate, but only for worthy causes. Eventually, though, I realized that power would be mentally exhausting.
2. Then, I fantasized that I had the power to heal people. I would heal them for money, but on a sliding fee scale, of course. That power would also have to be semi-secret. I'd set up my healing business, but call it "Therapeutic Massage" or something, and have disclaimers all around saying it was for entertainment purposes only. That would keep the government off my trail. Eventually, though, I realized that this power was cliched.
3. I recently fantasized that I had the power to instantaneously know the perfect nutrition plan for anyone I met. I'd give them the custom-designed diet that would help them maintain healthy weights and avoid surgery. Then I realized that I could give people the diets, but they probably wouldn't follow them, and that would depress me, no matter how much money I made.
4. My very latest fantasy is that I have the secret power to improve people's looks. I wouldn't even tell anyone or ask them for money. I'd just go about my business as usual, except I'd be removing people's warts and potbellies and varicose veins along the way, remotely. And they wouldn't know it until they looked in the mirror. And they'd think that it was magic.
I don't know why all my main fantasies are about helping people, when I'm sort of bitchy and hate to be around people most of the time. Maybe I'm crazy. Or maybe, as I'm starting to suspect, I should have been a dental hygenist.
Next life, I'm becoming a dental hygenist. That way I have all the fun of helping people, but none of the long-term commitment or professional liability.
Tell me your non-sexual, non-violent fantasies in the comments, if you want. (Or just talk about why Mexicans love tile.) 9:08 PM #
Comments:
oh gwen, I dont have fantasies, even non-sexual non violent ones. None. I dont know is that is normal, I'm too afraid to ask. But I really dont have any.*sigh*
But I do however like tile and I'm really really really white. My H is middleeastern and he loves tile too, what did they think you were going to put on the counters?
# posted by
pixielyn : 12:29 PM
I don't know if it means you aren't *normal*... Maybe just that you're heavily entrenched in the real world? I'm sure it's not a bad thing, but maybe you should think up a fantasy or two, just in case. I'll let you borrow one of my old ones: The world freezes for 24 hours and you get to loot whatever you want from the mall in that time period. What do you take?
Thank you for liking tile. Michard's brother (Pike) is going to put granite countertops in his kitched, so I guess they were thinking that or Corian or something else that's solid.
Tile pics on Flickr in five minutes, btw. If y'all think it looks tacky, just don't tell me. :)
# posted by
Gwen : 2:21 PM
I like tile, too, and I'm a total New World Euro-mutt. And I love the tiles you've used. They remind me of bits of sea glass. You know the kind I'm talking about? The bits of broken bottle glass that get weathered by the ocean and then show up on beaches? I used to collect sea glass... back when I had hours to sift beach sand. Oh well.
But can I talk to you about your fireplace for a second? It's GORGEOUS. The red is absolutely fantastic. I've never seen that kind of brickwork (tilework?) before.
Your house is lovely. I'm so happy for you.
# posted by
Doppelganger : 1:52 AM
Mine would be that I would know, just by looking at someone, if they had a life-threatening disease. Then I realized that insurance companies would stalk me and threaten my loved ones until I promised to work for them.
I wish I was as handy around the house as you. I moved a year ago and my son's room is still not painted.
# posted by
Nancy : 9:26 AM
I'm getting a concrete countertop soon. I had a concrete floor done last summer...gosh what a mess. Looks cool though. Looks like he ocean. Bought the house a year ago and still not even close to having the renovations done.
# posted by
little wing : 12:22 PM
Gwen, my fantasies involve having the following new abilities:
1. The ability to command, in some manner, viruses and bacteria. Imagine... Instant cures for yourself, your friends, and people who are really sick and dying. The ability to stop the bacteria that live in my face from being so angry and acne-riffic. (You might think that at the age of 22, they would have gotten over their anger, but not so.) Plus, you could incapacitate people in a non-harmful way--24-hour stomach flu for your worst enemies, etc!
2. Teleportation. This would be useful every single second of my life.
3. The ability to be one of those people who can wear things that are utterly ridiculous, but have them look GOOD and daring, rather than just dumb.
# posted by
Jeffytown, USA : 6:56 PM
Hi Gwen,
I have a lot of fantasies, or are they day dreams h-mm?
In one I'm a sorceress named Lady Jan(my blogs name), and I'm able to heal anyone, but it takes a lot out of me and I get tired. And I can fly, and go back or forward in time and help people.
I love tile, and I wish I had them! All I got is old ugly painted wooden counter tops, because my house is a hundred years old, and the counter tops are old too.
Have fun decorating your new home.
Lady Jan . . . oops Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 2:30 AM
P.S.
I'm an all American white mutt.
# posted by
Janice : 2:33 AM
Test
# posted by
Carlos Valenzuela : 10:12 AM
One of my fantasies is to be able to have a family reunion when my gradfather turns 100 in January (God willing) and for everybody to get along.
I love tile. I'm Mexican. But I don't like colorful tile. I like it pale or light.
# posted by
Carlos Valenzuela : 10:16 AM
Doppelganger: Yes! That's what I told Mario, that it looks like sea glass. When we moved in, the fireplace bricks were painted white. I think they'd been pink bricks originally. I have no idea why they painted it white. So I, of course, painted it red.
Nancy: That's a good one, but I totally cynically agree with you about the insurance co's. And don't feel bad about your "handiness." I'm just doing a little while I can. I'm sure after this I'll be a total slacker for several years.
Little Wing: What color concrete floor did you do? Do you have pics? i was considering that for the house we almost bought.
Jeffy: Those are good. And thank you for admitting that you'd do evil, too. My evil thought was that I'd only make nice people prettier, and leave the assholes ugly.
Janice: That's interesting that the healing would make you get tired. Is that to keep you from going overboard? Or so that people would appreciate your efforts? Maybe you can repaint your wood counters. Paint's cheap.
Carlos: Are y'all going to have a reunion at all? If not, you should tell everybody and do it.
# posted by
Gwen : 2:59 PM
Ah! Thank you, lets see... Here is the fantasy question you let me borrow "The world freezes for 24 hours and you get to loot whatever you want from the mall in that time period. What do you take?"
I would take all the books from B. Daltons and all the makeup (IMAGINE THE FUN!!) from the dept stores and then definetly the iced mocha machine at the coffee shop.
lol then I'd come home and PLAY.
# posted by
pixielyn : 9:07 AM
Hi Gwen,
I think it's to keep that kind of power in perspective. It can't be unlimited unless your a God, then well you can do anything I guess. But my Character isn't a God so there has to be limitation.
Belive me I have painted the counter tops, and I'm about ready to try a different paint and painting them again, because the old stuff just comes off.
Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 3:20 AM
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