Tagged by a brainiac!

I have been tagged with a meme, from what seems like an unlikely source. I love Archaeoastronomy and follow a few blogs about science...and found a new one last week or so. I posted a couple of comments on his blog, and lo the rascal tagged me! But I am completely flattered! And boy is it a tough meme...but what is extra funny and surprising is that he took a YEAR to do his tag! I however have taken just one day to fill out the questions. God knows who I can tag with this one, it's a toughie. Alun at Archaeoastronomy just tagged me. Here goes...

10 Years Ago today: 1996. I was in Alberta staying with my grandparents... My grandfather had been very ill and they needed the help and company to deal with selling their house and with various chores. It was a sad reason to be visiting but we had wonderful days in their back yard, eating delicious meals and enjoying coffee together and reminising. My grandmother was an exceptional cook who was always ready to try new foods from all kinds of cultures. She could taste anything and then recreate it at home. My sister has that knack too. My grandparents told me many stories about their time in the Second World War and travelling in Europe. My grandfather said when the war ended, he was paid a huge amount of money, he would whisper "don't tell your grandmother" even though they were not married or had even met then. He said he spent a week partying in Paris with girls and other army grunts. He had me laughing my ass off. Occasionally I would take his pop can of ginger ale, and at his request sneak in some booze...again he would say "don't tell your grandmother". I am sure a lot of people would say this was counter-productive, seeing as my grandfather was so ill...but his health wasn't going to turn around. He knew it and I knew it. He had a really rich and warm last few weeks of his life and I am forever blessed that I was able to be with both of them for such an extended visit. We made some good memories that summer. I feel lucky that my grandparents were such cool people. I miss them.

5 Years ago today: August 2001 right? I think I was reading out loud to Mister Anchovy's father The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad. I had gotten back from a two year road trip through Montana, Wyomming, Dakota, New York City, Alberta, British Columbia and stayed in Mister Anchovy's apartment while he was out of town on his own fishing road trip. His dad had been suffering with health issues and had lost enough eyesight he was unable to read text. We spent many happy afternoons reading from The Secret Agent and being deeply impressed by Conrads understanding of the terrorist personality, the nature of nihilism and anarchy, and the hopeless theme of Conrads novel that politics is not the way to deal with, or resolve human challenges. In fact the thesis of the novel declares that poltics encourages the developement and avoidance of problem solving and creates new ways for problems to divide people. Little did we know that in one month that novel would be so topical and tragically played out on North American soil. Fuck you bin Laden.

1 Year ago today: was a long weekend in Canada, I always have hated long weekends, because I am usually stuck in the city working and my friends are out of town...so I tend to feel a little sorry for myself. Last year this long weekend, I was in Toronto doing renovation contract in brutal hot weather and I was tiling a hallway floor: sore back, sore knees, sore blistered fingers. I don't think I'll easily tile a floor again. Or I'll charge a riculous amount of money. Be nice to anyone you hire to do this shitjob. Now, I love long weekends because I can spend them with Stagg (insert heart here)

5 songs I know all the words to: I Am The Highway by Audioslave, Express Yourself by Madonna, A Case of You by Joni Mitchell, Sherry Darling by Bruce Springsteen and Closer by Nine Inch Nails.

5 snacks: avacado and tuna in celery sticks, organic pork rinds, nachos, cheese and crackers, babaganoush.

5 things I'd do with a hundred million bucks: buy a building in Chicago, buy a 50 foot sailboat to moor for six months and enjoy in Toronto harbour, buy at least one building in Toronto and Vancouver, hire my own militia to go to DRC and give the women who are being raped and beaten every day by warring assholes 20 million to start their own business and be self-sufficent and hire security to allow them to get away from the pricks in their country. Buy my friends art work to decorate my new buildings and load up their pockets, take a bunch of people to Vegas and the desert to celebrate my 100 million, open an art studio/workshop for street kids and a gallery for their work in both Toronto and Chicago, set up an official office for my film companies and production offices rather than all the years I've been making art films on the fly. Take my girlfriends with me to a spa retreat for a week. Lobby to turn the Fertile Crescent into an International Park called "Time-Out International Park."

5 places I'd run away to: Queen Charlotte Islands on the Canadian west coast, travel back in time to Easter Island to see what the people there talked about when they cut down the last tree (this idea is inspired by the book Collapse by Jared Diamond), Tofino, one of the worlds longest sandy beaches and also on the Canadian west coast, Florence to study the hang outs of Giordano Bruno, The Globe Theatre in London and check out my boy Shakespeare.

5 things I'd never wear: Beige, birkenstocks, moomoo, an umbrella hat and pleated pants.

5 favourite tv shows: Deadwood, Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway and The Jeff Corwin Experience.

5 greatest joys: being on a film set; especially if it's my film set, drinking coffee on a beach, laughing at my daughters sense of humour, hanging out with friends and making people laugh, and hanging out with my awesome boyfriend. (xo)

5 favourite toys: computer, camera, camcorder, dvd, scissors.

5 people I'm tagging...Mister Anchovy, Goddess In The City, Diana, The Healing Room, Tim.

I'm still excited, a SCIENTIST! tagged me, how cool and geeky! :) Thanks, Alun!