Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Ten on Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  This week the ToT questions were thought up by me.  So answer one/some/all of them in your comments (or on your blog!).  Chelsea hosts this weekly post, and you can link up over on her blog

1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
It rhymes with 'haunt'.  I believe I am in the minority on this pronunciation.  I feel like my ND friends are the only people who say it that way.

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
I think most of the people who know me really well know that I blog.  But I am not totally 'out there' with my blogging - meaning, I don't have my blog on my facebook page, and I don't really advertise the fact that I have a blog.  Most of my family and some close friends read it. 

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
I try to use reusable when I remember to bring them (and am not buying too many groceries).  Otherwise i prefer plastic as I use have an easy time reusing the bags.  I actually prefer to bag my own groceries.  I find that when they bag them for you, they put WAY too much stuff in each bag.

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Hells, no.  The only plant I can keep alive is a cactus my friend gave me years ago. 

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
Definitely Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa.  I love her French-inspired recipes.  And I think her & her husband are ADORABLE.  They are just so in love.  Or appear to be.  She really lights up when she talks about a special meal she is preparing for him!  Gah!  I want that kind of love.  Except with Amos Lee instead of Jeffrey (yep, still obsessed with Amos).

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
The only baths I have taken in the 6 years I have lived in my condo are ice baths during marathon training.  I am so not a bath person.  I get bored.  And since I am sort of tallish, I never really fit in the bathtub (at least not the tubs I've had in the places I've lived).  If I never take another bubble bath in my life, I am totally ok with that.  I did love my post-long run ritual of sitting in the bath while watching a rom-com of some sort (I can see my tv from my bathtub if I leave the bathroom door open).  I realize this is an odd ritual, but whatever.  I'm quirky like that.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
They are sort a red that sort of has an orangey hue to it.  I was hoping for more of a brick red color.  I didn't dislike it enough to paint it again, though (I despise painting).

The walls of my new place's kitchen are yellow.  Like EVERY SINGLE OTHER WALL IN THE APARTMENT.  Seriously.  Who likes yellow that much??  I will probably be painting the bathroom and possibly the living room/kitchen area.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
As long as it's not too buggy outside, I prefer to eat outside.  I think it's so relaxing!  Especially at the cabin when you can hear the water lapping on the shore.  Ahh...  It's like heaven on earth!

9. Describe your ideal weather.
In the summer, I like it to be 80 & sunny with no clouds in the sky and a light breeze.  In the fall, I love a cool, crisp, 50 degree day. 

For running, I like temps in the 45-55 range.

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
I'll be captain obvious here.  French.  Of course.  Je parle un peu (I speak a little for the non-francophiles out there).  When all the CFA exams are behind me (I have 2 more levels), I plan on taking some French classes.

26 comments:

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

I think I say aunt like you actually and so does Eric. Neither of us say "ant." Eric claims the exact kind of aunt we say does not exactly rhyme with haunt, but I'm not sure I hear the difference, which is probably a bad thing since one of the main things I teach is rhyming!

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

You have given me much food for thought! I must confess to ant!

Raquelita said...

M. and I both say aunt the way you do. He is Canadian and I grew up in Texas. Most of the people I know pronounce it ant, though.

I speak Spanish and can read French and Portuguese pretty well, but can't speak them. I took German in college, but remember very little as I haven't done anything with it in over a decade. If I had more time I would brush up my German and learn Italian.

AshleyD said...

Awesome questions this week! High five for not having a green thumb. :)

Erin said...

I say "ANT"---haha :)

Obviously I can speak Spanish--I also have a minor in Italian. My next goal is to conquer French :) I wish you and I could take a class together!!!!!

I'maNolaGirl said...

I like to think that I will take a trip to the Hamptons and bump into Ina grocery shopping and we will get to chatting and she will invite me over for dinner and we'll become best friends. Is that crazy?!

Marlys said...

I would prefer to bag my own groceries as I would separate the cold food from the rest, so I could just put those bags in my bag cooler in the car instead of having to unpack each bag! It seems to me that some baggers just put anything into a bag to get the job done and it irritates me! I'm a bit OCD, though, so that is the problem! I, too, like showers - don't have time to linger in a bath! Maybe someday? I love Ina, too, because most of her dishes are pretty uncomplicated and she use ingredeints that I actually have or can obtain! We don't have too many gourmet grocery stores in small town ND!!

Mandy said...

I saw aunt the opposite way that you do, as in "ant." I completely, totally agree with the idea of perfect days and eating outside. Its so much nicer and much more relaxing for me to eat out on the deck.

Nora said...

Knight's family says aunt the way you say it, so it's been rubbing off on me. But I still have moments where I slip up and say it the other way.

Our kitchen walls are a yello, but not a light one. Not a dark one either. Just a nice yellow.

And I'm with you on the bath thing. If I wasn't so tall/awkward in them, it would be totally fine by me to take them more often.

Abby said...

I am so with you on baths - I get bored taking baths. I love the idea of it....but it never works out

I love Ina too! She calms me, also. She's so collected in the kitchen. I want her house, too.

Jen said...

Love these kind of posts!! And I have to admit, I too get bored in the bath so that's why I bring in a book to read. It's almost the only chance the entire day I get to read, so I take advantage of it!! ;-)

Happy Tuesday Darling! xo

Gracie said...

I think ants are little bugs that, if you live in the miserable south, sting (in the normal north they are just cute little examples of industry. Yes, I am having my typical summertime homesickness for New England!).

Amber said...

I don't think people who say AUnt and P-au-sta are "uppity" but when I try to say it that way it makes ME feel "uppity". I feel like I'm trying to talk with a really bad British accent. LOL.

I think it's hilarious how our ideal weather was almost identical. You know you're a runner when.... :)

Unknown said...

Hello from your aunt (not your ant).
I don't advertise my blog to many people, so it surprises me when I run into someone I consider an acquaintance and he/she comments about always reading my blog. Paul is EXTREMELY particular about his grocery bagging ritual, so if we are together, I don't even take things out of the grocery cart to place on the conveyer belt, because that also bothers him. He even takes over for the bagger!!! (See Marlys' comment about being OCD and nod your head knowingly.) Reusable bags are my first choice. I would like to think I have a green thumb, but I'll let you know when I finally get my patio pots planted!!! I love Alton Brown. I hate baths. The few walls I do have in my kitchen are beige. What color do you think I should paint them? I love eating meals outdoors. Your weather ideal sounds perfect to me. I think it would be incredible to be able to speak Mandarin. This was fun!!!!

Cherry Blossoms said...

I say aunt like you as I am not a bug :)
If only I could have a day of the 80's. Def will be awhile until we get that kind of weather again. 106 tomorrow. Oh well it could be worse like 99 with 90% humidity like some places out east are having. ick.

crystal said...

I say aunt the same as you, it must be a ND thing! When I moved I was surprised at how many people say "ant" and never heard it the other way. Come on! It is how it is actually spelled!

Stephany said...

I say aunt as in "can't" but I've known a lot of people who say it as in "haunt". I don't think you're in the minority! I recently learned, from a friend, that I pronounce "on" as "arn". My whole family does this and I never even noticed until she pointed it out! lol.

I am an extreme lover of bubble baths. Like, I have to take at least one a day. I'm not even joking. They relax me so much!

Leigh said...

Love your questions today! I say aunt like it rhymes with can't. And pasta like past-a. I think there a few things I pronounce oddly, well according to my husband I do anyways.

Becky said...

Great questions! :)

I totally agree about the grocery store - they ALWAYS make the bags too heavy! I ask for them to not put too much in them but it never seems to do any good. (The only way you can self-bag here is self-checkout).

Lauren @ Sassy Molassy said...

I definitely say things the boring way "aunt" = can't to me.

I'd love to take some language classes in french and spanish, but I just don't have the time right now. Your CFA exams are no joke. I mean 7 tests...that is RIDICULOUS! By the end you'll be a freaking wiz in all things financing (followed by margarita indulgence). I guess that's the point.

Tricia said...

yep, I say 'ant'. And I let the store bag my groceries. I always seem to pull off a million bags in stead of just one when I try to do it myself

qwerkyqook said...

haunt of course! ewww. bath tubbing is nasty, soak in your filth for 30 min, no thanks. I don't really tell people about my blog, which is ok. probably why I average 0-3 comments per post ;)

Allison Blass said...

The bags are too HEAVY?!? Every grocer I've ever been to always put like 3 things in each bag, which means we have to carry like 10-12 plastic bags home (which is so bad for the environment).

We bring reusable bags, except to Trader Joes because we like their paper bags, and I almost always bag because I don't like carrying too many bags. There is an art to bagging so that you have the weight evenly distributed amongst everything. It's a real technique. ;)

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

I pronounce it like "can't".

Everyone knows I blog.

I use reusable, but I do like it when the cashier bags my stuff - unless they are incompetent.

I don't have a green thumb. I water and hope for the best. I have never tried or had time to be more interested than that.

I like Giada.


I don't like baths. I only have them when I am sick and need to warm up.


My kitchen walls are a mushroomy taupe colour.

I like eating outside if it is not windy, or too buggy as you say!

I like it to be about 18 C.

I would want to learn Spanish, Japanese, or something crazy like Hebrew.

Shoshanah said...

I didn't used to be big on taking baths. Until I started reading in the bath. I'm always paranoid I'm going to drop the book in, but besides that, that makes it a lot more enjoyable for me.

Janie said...

Maybe it is a Northern thing? I say aunt as well and everyone I knew growing up in MN said aunt too. I keep saying that there is a "u" for a reason :P