Weekend Assignment #351: What Are You Doing New Year's?

Let's do one more short, seasonal Weekend Assignment to take us into the new year:

Weekend Assignment # 351: What Are You Doing New Year's?
Where do you typically spend New Year's Eve? What are you usually doing when the big moment arrives? Will this year be as usual, or are you doing something different?

Extra Credit: To the best of your recollection, have you ever managed to keep a New Year's resolution for more than a week?

Here are the guidelines in case you'd like to participate - and I hope you do!

1. Please post your response no later than than 12:01 AM on Thursday morning, January 6th, your local time. You can do this either in a blog entry of your own or in the comments section of the assignment entry. No submissions will be accepted after that time unless I want to.

2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to the original entry. Using one of the logos shown here is encouraged but not mandatory.

3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments to the assignment. Don't forget, or I'll probably miss out on linking to you!

4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!

5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please see the "Teacher's Lounge" page for details. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor." Help me out, folks, because sometimes I run dry when doing this week after week!

6. I reserve the right to remove rude or unpleasant comments (not to mention comment spam), and to leave entries off the linking list if the person has been rude or unpleasant, or fails to mention the Weekend Assignment in the entry.

For Weekend Assignment # 350: Best. Gift. Ever., I asked about awesome gifts given or received. Most folks were too busy giving and receiving them to write about them, but we we did get a few responses. Please click on each person's name to see the full entry:

Anne said...

One Christmas, my parents gave me a car. They didn't wrap it in a bow in the driveway or anything. They wrapped a new key chain in a box and included a note the box that said, "we'll start looking in January". I didn't get the message. I had lost my keys several months before and they had been on a gorgeous Gucci key chain. Did they mean they would help me find a great new key chain? Random.

Karen said...

My best gift ever given, I was hoping, would be the one I was putting together for my brother Steve for Christmas this year. John and I have put many hours into putting it together, but we can't quite seem to get it right. It's meant to be a book, or at least a pdf file, if we can ever get the pages to appear in order with no duplications or superseded versions. The title page reads, "The Ruth Anne Johnson Songbook - Version 2.2."

That's it for now. I realize it's a busy time of year, but please jump in with an entry if you can. Happy New Year!

Karen

Weekend Assignment # 350: Best. Gift. Ever.

This week's Assignment is short and seasonal--again!

Weekend Assignment # 350: Best. Gift. Ever.
What is the best gift you've ever gotten from anyone?

Extra Credit: To the best of your recollection, what is the best gift you ever gave someone else?

Here are the guidelines in case you'd like to participate - and I hope you do!

1. Please post your response no later than than 12:01 AM on Thursday morning, December 30th, your local time. You can do this either in a blog entry of your own or in the comments section of the assignment entry. No submissions will be accepted after that time unless I really want to.

2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to the original entry. Using one of the logos shown here is encouraged but not mandatory.

3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments to the assignment. Don't forget, or I'll probably miss out on linking to you!

4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!

5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please see the "Teacher's Lounge" page for details. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor." Help me out, folks, because sometimes I run dry when doing this week after week!

6. I reserve the right to remove rude or unpleasant comments (not to mention comment spam), and to leave entries off the linking list if the person has been rude or unpleasant, or fails to mention the Weekend Assignment in the entry.

For Weekend Assignment # 349: Party Hardy or Party Hardly?, I asked how much of a partier you are. Please click on each person's name to see the full entry:

Julie said...

When I do party, it's generally when I'm at a convention. I enjoy hanging out at room parties, catching up with old acquaintances and making new ones. And if it's an out of town event (or a local one where I take a room at the hotel for one night) I can stay as late as I want and even indulge in a drink as I'm not driving home.

Florinda said...

I've never been a party girl. The fact that I was already married and a mom while I was still in college means I missed out on some of the prime partying years, so I haven't had much practice.

Anne said...

I generally enjoy a party. Sometimes, at this time of year, I just want to hole up and do nothing. It is dark so early, and cold and often the streets are terrible and the traffic is worse. In fact, that is the secret to getting me to a party: starting it as early in the day as possible. The later people start gathering, the less likely I am to show up. But I always enjoy myself.

Karen said...

Let's see - what was the last party I attended? It was a friend's birthday party in September 2009. That one was bearable, even fun, because several of the people attending were friends from the old Doctor Who club whom I hadn't seen in years. Also it was in a beautiful setting in the Tucson Mountains foothills, and well organized with a fun Disney theme.

That's it for now. I realize it's a busy time of year, but please jump in with an entry if you can. Have a great holiday week!

Karen

Weekend Assignment # 349: Party Hardy or Party Hardly?

This week's Assignment is short and seasonal:

Weekend Assignment # 349: Party Hardy or Party Hardly?
This is the time of year for office parties, family reunions, New Year's Eve parties and holiday parties in general. Are you a party animal or a party avoider? Do you go to parties because you want to, or out of obligation, or not at all?

Extra Credit: How many parties are you likely to attend between now and New Year's Day?

Here are the guidelines in case you'd like to participate - and I hope you do!

1. Please post your response no later than than 12:01 AM on Thursday morning, December 23rd, your local time. You can do this either in a blog entry of your own or in the comments section of the assignment entry. No submissions will be accepted after that time unless I really want to.

2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to the original entry. Using one of the logos shown here is encouraged but not mandatory.

3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments to the assignment. Don't forget, or I'll probably miss out on linking to you!

4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!

5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please see the "Teacher's Lounge" page for details. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor." Help me out, folks, because sometimes I run dry when doing this week after week!

6. I reserve the right to remove rude or unpleasant comments (not to mention comment spam), and to leave entries off the linking list if the person has been rude or unpleasant, or fails to mention the Weekend Assignment in the entry.

For Weekend Assignment # 348: Trendsetters, I asked how much of a car buff you are. Please click on each person's name to see the full entry:

Anne said...

[Oprah] taught us that a woman can be a great success with or without a man. She can be happy without being married and have cocker spaniels instead of children. She doesn't have to be a size four (although she ought to try to be healthy). She can cover real stories of adversity and survival and heroism and then do the celebrity gossip with the best of them.

Karen said...

My first letter to Harlan [Ellison] began, "I used to be a Democrat for Nixon," and went on to credit him for my political education. In college, I applied to a writer's workshop Harlan had written about and taught at, and would be teaching at again that summer. He and Peter S. Beagle, also teaching that year, were the main reasons I applied. As some of you know, that workshop was where I met my future husband, and was encouraged by Harlan to "go after him, girl!" I did, and we've been married for 31 1/2 years so far. Celebrity influences don't get much more consequential than that!

That's it for now. I realize it's a busy time of year, but please jump in with an entry if you can. Have a great week!

Karen

Weekend Assignment # 348: Trendsetters

Watching tributes to John Lennon this week was my inspiration the the latest Assignment:

Weekend Assignment # 348: Trendsetters

Musicians, writers and other artists frequently have an impact on their fans that goes beyond simple enjoyment of their work. Many rock stars have had an influence on fashion or politics or both, and fictional characters sometimes inspire real people in their opinions and career choices. [I'm not going to try to prove these assertions here; just go with them, okay?] Has an artist or artistic work ever inspired you to do or believe something that might never have occurred to you otherwise?

Extra Credit: Do you think it's appropriate for artists to be political activists? Does such activism have a positive or negative impact on your respect for that artist?

Here are the guidelines if you'd like to participate.

1. Please post your response no later than than 12:01 AM on Thursday morning, December 16th, your local time. You can do this either in a blog entry of your own or in the comments section of the assignment entry. No submissions will be accepted after that time unless I really want to.

2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to the original entry. Using one of the logos shown here is encouraged but not mandatory.

3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments to the assignment. Please post the URL itself rather than a live link.

4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!

5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please see the "Teacher's Lounge" page for details. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor." Help me out, folks, because sometimes I run dry when doing this week after week!

6. I reserve the right to remove rude or unpleasant comments (not to mention comment spam), and to leave entries off the linking list if the person has been rude or unpleasant, or fails to mention the Weekend Assignment in the entry.

For Weekend Assignment # 347: Car Crazy , I asked how much of a car buff you are. Please click on each person's name to see the full entry:

Anne said...

I am not, however, a connoisseur.  I fancied that I could be.  I once had posters of Italian sports cars in my bedroom.  (Next to Walter Payton and James Dean.)  But in reality, my love is more of an open-road, wind-in-my-hair, independent Americana kind of love.  In fact, all of my cars have been SUVs - Ford or GM. 

Florinda said...

However, I now live in the birthplace of “car culture,” Southern California, and am married to a man who’s absorbed that all his life. Tall Paul is a sub-species of “car guy” that I didn’t know existed until I met him: the “car nerd.” (But he’ll tell you his best friend Larry is the real car nerd.) Car nerds aren’t constantly covered with grease, working on their engines and adding after-market accessories to their cars; yes, I realize that’s a stereotype, but until five years ago I thought that’s what a “car guy “ was. Granted, the car nerd might do more of his own maintenance if modern cars weren’t so computer-driven (no pun intended) - and while he may appreciate some things about vintage, classic automobiles, the car nerd is a techie at heart and has an eager interest in the new. Among other things, car nerds like new-car magazines.

Karen said...

Still, I do notice neat old cars on the street, and occasionally some unusual new car if it's strangely shaped or exceptionally sporty. I'm probably right more often than not when I identify something as an old Chevy, Cadillac or Model T--well, maybe. And once I got a car dealer to give me a test drive in a Corvette, with the car salesman at the wheel. I also watch Top Gear on BBC America, not because I have an opinion about expensive Italian sports cars, but because the three hosts are amusing, and do crazy challenges involving cars and other vehicles all over the world.

That's it for now. I realize it's a busy time of year, but please jump in with an entry if you can. Have a great week!

Karen

Weekend Assignment # 347: Car Crazy

The presence of extra traffic on the streets (at least near Best Buy) this time of year inspires this week's Assignment:

Weekend Assignment # 347: Car Crazy

Some people are car connoisseurs, able to discuss the finer points of 1960 Corvette engines, find or build replacement Model T parts, or argue the merits of the latest high-end Italian sports car. (Okay, maybe it's not the same person in each of these scenarios, but you get the idea.) Other people know a lot about their own beloved car and its automotive brethren, but not much about other cars. Still others are mostly just concerned whether their car still gets them to work and back safely. How about you? Do you pay attention to automotive trends, or quickly identify the unusual car sitting next to you at the light? What is the extent of your knowledge and interest in cars?

Extra Credit: If a long lost rich uncle insisted on buying you any car you wanted, as long as you promised to keep it and drive it around, what kind would you get?

Here are the guidelines if you'd like to participate.

1. Please post your response no later than than 12:01 AM on Thursday morning, December 9th, your local time. You can do this either in a blog entry of your own or in the comments section of the assignment entry. No submissions will be accepted after that time unless I really want to.

2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to the original entry. Using one of the logos shown here is encouraged but not mandatory.

3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments to the assignment. Please post the URL itself rather than a live link.

4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!

5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please see the "Teacher's Lounge" page for details. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor." Help me out, folks, because sometimes I run dry when doing this week after week!

6. I reserve the right to remove rude or unpleasant comments (not to mention comment spam), and to leave entries off the linking list if the person has been rude or unpleasant, or fails to mention the Weekend Assignment in the entry.

For Weekend Assignment #346: Holiday Shopper (yes, I've corrected a numbering error or two since posting), I asked you about your holiday shopping strategies. Please click on each person's name to see the full entry:

Julie said...

I prefer to shop in person, particularly for things that the recipient might want to exchange because it's the wrong size or color. Or, if I give a gadget that's DOA, they - or I - can exchange it at a store rather than go through the hassle of shipping. My main strategy is to shop during "off" times of the day.

Carly said...

Black Friday, which I believe is the "official" shopping start of the holiday season is a big deal in our house. We don't do much shopping that day, but we do people watch! We begin the day in Union Square, in San Francisco, and after enjoying a Mocha for Alan and a Hot Chocolate for me, we walk the square, then its down to Maiden Lane. It's gorgeous this time of year, from the decorations, to the wonderful street performers singing opera. It's a unique time to be in San Francisco, and something we don't miss, come rain or come shine.

Karen said...

It's not that I hate to shop, but I have limited patience with lines, and even more limited funds to spend. I'm not likely to get in line to buy anyone a new tv or computer at a deep discount. The only person I can afford to spend significant money on these days is my husband, and frankly we have a history of returning his "big present" to Best Buy (or wherever) immediately after Christmas or his birthday. We do this almost every year, it seems.

Anne said...

Besides rocking the gifts, I have another goal: to avoid setting foot in a shopping mall from Thanksgiving until New Years.  I do quite a bit online:  Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Toys R Us, Drs. Foster and Smith, FTD, these websites have all worked out nicely for me.  The deals can be found and I am not buying too many gift cards.  While I have never gone to Best Buy at 4am, I do believe I have lived the Black Friday experience enough times to know better. 

That's it for now. I realize it's a busy time of year, but please jump in with an entry if you can. Have a great week!

Karen