Meme: Five Strengths

I've been Meme-tagged by Malachy. Over a week ago? Yes, by now this meme is old news. But it's a good exercise and a welcome retreat from Life As I Know It at the 'mo. For the past month we've been having our floors refinished. Why? We had a flood over a year ago and just got around to getting things fixed. Well, actually putting the floor back, we've been walking on the plywood subfloor for the past year. And about two feet of wall had to be cut out where the baseboards used to be for fear of heinous mold growth. At night the hallway glowed from the light coming out from underneath the cut. It looked kind of like a Steven Spielberg movie without the fog.

Don't worry I'm getting to the meme.

That's how we lived for the past year. And you know what? It's amazing how quickly you get used to such things. I mean it wasn't until we had the wall sheetrocked again that we realized how we'd been living. See time is not of the essence to us here. Unless we're late for school or work. Or getting that princess dress sewn for the preschool carnival.

So yes. We're having our floors refinished for the second time this month. The second time people. Here's a little window into our world. We're living in our kitchen. And why not? Isn't that where every party ends up? Our clothes, towels, bed linen, and blankets are in four laundry baskets in the kitchen in front of the baby crib which is next to the Exersaucer and baby swing. These devices are commonly referred to by parents in the know as the Neglectababy - a word that can be used interchangeably for any such device that gives a parent the convenience of putting the baby down and walking away with the relative certainty that your charming tot will not eat the clumps of dog hair congregating on the floor and in turn that baby will not be mistaken for a dog treat.

Why do the floors need to be done twice? Shouldn't once be enough? Sure, sporto. Unless, of course, the floor finish cracks and blisters and turns green. That's when they come back and re-sand the floors and start all over again. Curses. That's when they fly the product rep in to see your floors and said rep tries to wiggle out of taking responsibility for his product by trying to get you to admit that you contaminated it somehow. In every conversation he has with you. Yeah, Skipper, we saved some floor shavings for you. Can't seem to reproduce the problem? All the product in that lot is suddenly gone? You're not trying to squirm out of this, eh? Good to know. You're a reputable business? It's used in the White House? In bowling alleys? Well, now you're just desperate, aren't you?

Okay. The meme.

The rules according to Patrick:

"Make a list of five strengths that you possess as a writer/artist. It's not really bragging, it's an honest assessment (forced upon you by this darn meme). Please resist the urge to enumerate your weaknesses, or even mention them in contrast to each strong point you list. Tag four other writers or artists whom you'd like to see share their strengths."

1. I have a sublime sense of the ridiculous.
2. Emotion. Not afraid of it. Violence, love, revenge, whatever, I'm there and I can get it on the page.
   
3. I'm a good editor. I love to get that first draft out of the way. It's okay to write the worst first draft ever because the real work starts after you fill up the pages.
   
4. I'm a good collaborator. I like to work with actors and directors to improv/compose scenes.
5. I thrive on risk.
6. And for good measure - I will throw things out and let things go to make the work better.
   

Now, I tag who? That's the problem with waiting so long. Or maybe that's the beauty of waiting so long - you can beg off because everyone has already done it. Okay, here we go: Ming-Zhu (sorry, I know you've been tagged twice on the same day no less), and Dorothy, Nick, and that's all I got. If you read this and you want to participate, give me your blog link in the comments or just write it in the comments of this post.