"Life is like a sewer.

QotD: Time Travel

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:59:36 -0700

What's the closest thing you have to a time machine?
Submitted by Verisimilitude.

I think my 1,300+ posts here on Vox should be answer enough: My blog. Sure, it's more of a time capsule than a time machine - but it's still the closest thing.

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QotD: You're the Inspiration...

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:56:41 -0700

Who inspires you to be the person you are today?
Submitted by meuuy.

My family! All of my family!

My parents inspire me to be more self-reliant and successful. I want to make them proud and show them that while no one is perfect, they did the best the could and it really was enough in my case.
My sister inspires me to be more self-less and more patient. She also inspires me to be a good mom, once I become a mom. I really admire how well she's raising my nephew and I'm taking more than a few points from her.
My husband inspires me to be more loving and heart-filled. He's such a giving person, he makes me realize how much I want to give not only to him but to everyone. I'm such a brick wall sometimes in regards to emotions, he makes me want to change every time he tells me I'm beautiful and I can tell he means it.

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QotW: My Commute

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:27:30 -0700

How do you travel to and from work - personal vehicle, bus, subway/train, pedal power? What does it cost you per week in gas or fares?
Submitted by Jan.

I work only 6.5 miles from my apartment. For that reason, I drive my personal vehicle. I'm thinking of buying a bicycle and trying that out, one of these days, but I just haven't gotten around to planning out my route. I take the freeway the whole way there so I have no clue what city streets I could take.

Average : 28 mpg (I think, its difficult for me to figure this out)
Tank size : 14.5 gal
Average miles per tank : 406
Work mileage : 13 miles
Trips to work per tank (if I did nothing but drive to work...) : 31
Last cost of fill up : $50
Cost of round trip to work : $1.60? ($50/406*13?)

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QotD: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:54:10 -0700

How do you choose your Vox neighbors and friends?
Submitted by gcgal.

Its a combination of writing style, how often they post, and how big their neighborhood is.

I generally do not add people who pass up on proper grammar and punctuation (it doesn't have to be perfect, I make mistakes ALL the time) - simply because it's hard and confusing to read their posts. Skipping on capitalizing sentences and using an abundance of "txt" language is annoying :(
If someone posts one a month, I usually do not add them unless their once-a-month posts are really good and spark some kind of creativity in me or a great conversation in many. The reason why? Because I'm an active blogger and I like people in my neighborhood who are too. Active blogging usually results in more personal posts rather than soapbox posts.
People how have pages upon pages of listed neighbors means the possibility of them reading and relating to my posts are very minimal. I like to make friends, not build networks.

None of these ideas are set in stone though, and I have a few neighbors that break all these points :) Also, I have a rule that I first add someone as a "neighbor", then once I get to know them (which usually only happens if they post often and we can comment back and forth) I move them up to "friend" if I feel like I can be honest with them and they wont judge me about it. I don't always make the best decisions and my blog is a place for me to write about all decisions whether good or bad. The only people who are listed as family are people I know in real life and know my real name stuff like that.

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Music QotW: Music Video Story

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:34:15 -0700

Show us a music video that tells a great story.
Submitted by notreallylois.

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Life QotW: Class Time

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:30:53 -0700

If you could take a class right now and learn anything in the world, what class would you take?

I'd learn how to cook! I'm terribly intimidated by cooking in general and I know that if I were more familiar with the terms & techniques I likely would feel better about trying out recipes. I have this book, "Eating Well Serves Two" and I find recipes I want to try but if it's got a lot ingredient list and a long prep list I get really discouraged.

Cooking!

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Culture QotW: Can't Wait to Read...

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:28:11 -0700

What soon-to-be-published book are you excited to read?

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

Stephenie Meyer

Um, the one I'm waiting for the most - as I'm not too much of a waiter - is probably Breaking Dawn. As most may know, its the final book in the saga about Bella Swan - written by Stephanie Meyers.

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Life QotD: Cultural Stereotypes

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:02:41 -0700

What is the most annoying stereotype people say about the country or place where you're from?

Have you guys ever watched I Survived a Japanese Game Show? Watch it, and you'll see every sterotype I hate :( Sadly, I really like the show - maybe that's because the contestants get what they deserve.

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Entertainment QotW: Oh-So Quotable

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:57:11 -0700

What movies do you have memorized? Bonus points for sharing your favorite quote.
Submitted by Andymatic.

I'd have to say...

Bring It On: "You are cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded."

The Mummy (none of that Returns or Scorpion crap!): "Relax, I'm the map. It's all up here.", "I! Am a librarian."

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Day: "Can Princess Sophia come out and play?"

Bring It On

The Mummy (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition)

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QotD: Ouch, That Hurt!

nobody@vox.com(maura_ea) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:03:51 -0700

Have you ever broken a bone? If not, what's the worst injury you've sustained?

No, I've never broken a bone. But since this seems to have turned into "what's your worst injury ever" questions for those who have never broken a bone - I'm going to share.

When I was younger - around four I think - my brother was leaning me back on two legs of a four legged child chair in our living room. Despite the fact that we had shag carpet - we also had this nice stone fireplace. He was leaning me back by the fireplace and dropped me - and the back of my head slammed into the corner of the brick fireplace. I don't remember much: The strange feeling of the doctor pulling my baby-fine blonde strands out of the gaping crack in my skull, the popsicle they gave me after, and being in my a red nightgown.

When I was around eight I found a glass liquor bottle in the shrubs surrounding my apartment complex. At the time, my father was battling alcoholism and I was angry about alcohol. So, I took the bottle by the neck and smashed it into the ground! Unfortunately, I didn't let go of the bottle and so it sliced deep into the joint of my pinky finger on my left hand. I remember my sister was there and rushed me into our apartment and nearly passed out while trying to help me stop the bleeding. I have this wicked scar - even now.

A few years later we'd moved into this house and down the street were puppies! We all went down to see the puppies that were in the backyard. Unknown to us, the mother of the puppies was being kept in the house and she was vicious! To this day I will always hate and fear Maltese dogs because of her. Anyhow, I'm petting the puppies when the mother breaks from inside the house and into the backyard and attacks me. She starts with my arm and soon moves to my hip. My sister is kicking at her to get her to stop mauling me but still she punctured and ripped most the skin down my upper arm and my hips. I remember at the hospital they were applying stuff to the wounds to keep them from getting disinfected and I nearly passed out. I just remember my mom placing a cold wet paper towel on my forehead and I snapped back into consciousness.

Hm, I think I'm accident prone :(

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