Anything But Books Tag

I was, once again, browsing through BookTube when I discovered this tag. It seemed like a really cool way to help you guys get to know me better. This tag basically encompasses different pastimes and media we enjoy besides books, and I think I have some interesting responses. So, without further ado, here we go:

Name a cartoon(s) that you love.

Right now I’m super obsessed with Darkwing Duck, a Disney Channel cartoon from the early ‘90s. I was too young to appreciate it when it was on (it went out of syndication in 1995 when I was too busy being two). But I discovered it recently and thought the premise was interesting, so I decided to give it a shot. It follows Darkwing Duck, a superhero driven largely by glamor and fame. While he genuinely does want to help people, he is easily distracted by his own ego. He also has a “spirited” adopted daughter and a sidekick named Launchpad. Together, they fight the villains of St. Canard and deal with living next door to the annoying Muddlefoots. It’s a genuinely funny, smart show that anyone can enjoy. Plus, the theme song is awesome.

What is your favorite song right now?

That would have to be “The Cure” by Lady Gaga. It’s such a fun, light-hearted pop song, the sort of sound I look for from Gaga. It’s nothing profound, but it’s a bop. I’d also like to give an honorable mention to “The Other Side” as performed by Mylene Cruz & the Soul Madonnas and Ezekiel Figuero from the Netflix hit The Get Down. It’s so powerful and moving and the vocals are excellent.

What could you do for hours (that isn’t reading)?

Lately I’ve been watching YouTube videos for hours. I watch a whole variety from news videos, to fandom things, to BookTube, to whatever else catches my fancy. My current favorite YouTuber is Phillip DeFranco.

What is something you love to do that your followers would be surprised by?

Uh, I like to drink? Is that too sad? I guess I’ll go with I like singing, even though I’m no good at it. Like at all. But I still love to give a rousing performance when I’m alone.

What is your favorite unnecessarily specific thing to learn about?

I’m fascinated by etymology and word origins and reading how they changed and developed over time and across languages. I also love learning terms that can’t truly be translated into another language because only that language has a word for it. I honestly just love words so much, I will sit and read words about words.

What is something unusual you know how to do?

This might sound strange, but I’m a bit of a baby whisperer. I used to work in retail and whenever a baby was crying, I’d smile at them and they would stop. They’d just kind of look back at me, almost hypnotized by my friendliness. They’d forget whatever they were crying about and settle right down. Dealing with small children has always come naturally to me, even beyond this. They must sense a gentle spirit in me that genuinely cares to hear their silly stories or incoherent babble. Or maybe I just have a nice face, I don’t know. The point is, I have a remarkably easy time getting babies to stop crying.

Name something you’ve made in the last year (and show us, if you can).

I actually write all the property descriptions for the rental agency I work for. I also sometimes write pamphlets for potential owners or small articles. You can check these out at shorepro.com. It may not be the most creative thing, but I still try to insert my own voice into my descriptions.

What is your most recent personal project?

Actually, that would be starting this blog. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on things and thought this would be a great way to share them. As someone who hopes to be a writer someday, I also thought this would be a good way to keep my skills sharp while working on my original story.

Tell us something you think about often (maybe while staring out the window).

I think about events in my past a lot and try to look at them through a fresh eye. I sometimes analyze them or think about how my perspective on those events changed. I also often wonder what past versions of me would think about me now and what I’ve done (or not done) with my life. I sometimes imagine past versions of me observing my current life and try to imagine what I would’ve thought. It’s weird, I know, but it’s a strange fixation of mine.

Give us something that’s your favorite, but make it something oddly specific, not like your favorite food, but like your favorite food when you’ve been studying for hours and forgot to eat. Or, you know, something like that.

I really love sleeping in bedding that is fresh out of the dryer— like, minutes out of the dryer. I will do laundry at like 9pm so I can have them fresh out of the dryer by the time I go to bed. I just love how warm and fresh the covers and sheets feel. It’s almost like a whole new bed.

And those are just some fun, non-bookish facts about me. I also really love Star Wars. That’s not relevant to anything, I just wanted to mention Star Wars. It’s awesome.