Secret Society of List Addicts

My Favourite Fairy Tales

I've always loved fairytales and mythology, which makes it hard to narrow the list of my favourite stories. But my commitment to list-making helped me to pick my top choices:

Baba Yaga When I was at primary school this story was so popular that everyone would hide the only copy of the book so they could read it at story time
The Little Mermaid Living under the sea sounded like a lot of fun when I was 5, now not so much
Rumpelstiltskin Maybe because I could identify with his temper tantrums...
Rapunzel I always wanted super-long hair (but wasn't sold on the idea of letting people climb it)
The Princess & the Pea Because it was quite likely that I was actually a princess without realising it, and one simple test could reveal it!
Sleeping Beauty I'm not really sure why this story appealed so much. I suspect it may have been something to do with the longest sleep-in ever.

What were your favourite fairy tales when you were growing up? What about now?

Posted by Bridey

Things That Are Annoying (Unless You're The One Doing It)

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Come now, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That stuff that you see that makes you strain your eyeballs with all the rolling, but when you yourself are in the midst of it? Best. thing. ever.

Those mass bike rides

Witnessed: You're stuck in traffic as you watch a bunch of hippies glide by on their painfully hip and meticulously maintained vintage bikes. And you're stuck in traffic specifically because of them!

Experienced: You're gliding by all those suckers in cars, for once not afraid of being run over by an SUV driver who's occupied by her cell phone/Starbucks/nail polish.

Bachelorette parties

Witnessed: The screaming! The penis whistles! The huge group of drunk girls in themed outfits! It's all a bit too much.
Experienced: The screaming! The penis whistles! Being drunk with all of your girlfriends! While wearing your old prom dress! Too awesome.

Being (by far) the tallest person in the crowd
Witnessed: Dude, I am going to punch you in your selfish face for blocking my view of the stage.

Experienced: "Wow, I can see everything. This is awesome."

Driving around with the bass turned way up

Witnessed: Exactly what are you trying to prove by making your trunk vibrate, sir? I can't hear my tender singer-songwriters over all that thumping.

Experienced: "I love this song so hard! And the only way to truly experience it is to turn is up as loud as I can, roll my windows down and nod my head emphatically to the beat!"

Wearing a band's t-shirt to their concert, then yelling all the lyrics and jabbing your finger in the air
Witnessed: Are you into this band? Because I wasn't really sure. Maybe if you got a tattoo of one of their album covers you could get the point across more thoroughly.

Experienced: "I have been looking forward to this for. ever. I must communicate my love for this music in every way I know how."

What things annoy you when witnessed but float your boat when you're doing them?

Posted by Sarah Von

Dudes I Totally Love

Okay, okay. It's apparent that I do have a "type." Let's call it Brooding, Sultry, Tortured Genius Guy With Good Hair. Now this isn't my standard list style, because I'm not going to explain why I love each of these guys, but I will write their names in list form and why they could be considered awesome. (top to bottom, left to right)

1) Steven Morrissey: Crooner Extraordinaire of The Smiths fame.

2) Johnny Depp: Sexiest Man Alive like 100 times.

3) Elvis Presley: King of Rock and Roll.

4) James Dean: Lived Fast, Died Young, Left a Good Looking Corpse.

5) Jim Morrisson: Wore leather pants, Self-proclaimed Lizard King.

6) Edward Cullen: Fictional Vampire, Early 21st Century Phenomenon.

7) My Husband: (not pictured) Totally Real, 100% Attainable Rock Star of My Life!

What dudes do you totally love?

Posted by Darcie

Attributes I Want to Work On

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I've recently decided that I'm going to make more of an effort to cultivate the following skills and/or attributes:

Über-organisation I'm not a Virgo but I may as well be with my love of colour-coding, excessive planning and of course list-making. If only I could keep up this level of organisation all the time...
Assertiveness I hate it when people are angry with me, and have a tendency to agree to keep the peace. But I would much rather learn to speak my mind a lot more!
Being unapologetically individual I love it when people are so comfortable with themselves that they never feel the need to make excuses to others about what they do/what they like/how they look etc
Impeccable manners I like to think that I have pretty good manners, but I guess there's always room for improvement!

What personality traits do you really admire?

Posted by Bridey

Rules I Had As A Child

As the child of two teachers, there was absolutely no getting away with, ummm, anything in my house growing up. A few childhood rules from the House of Yes and Yes?

No white bread/sugary cereal/full cans of soda
Sugary cereals were to be mixed half and half with a healthier counterpart - Kix plus Trix, Honey Nut Cheerios plus normal Cheerios. I would quickly lose my mind at sleepovers where I was exposed to unaltered bowls of Lucky Charms. Good lord, I had to be pried off the ceiling. Of course, now that I'm an adult, I realize what a hugely beneficial and healthy rule this was. Good job, 'rents.

Saying "shut up" is unacceptable
And it still is, isn't it?

Only one hour of non-educational television per day
I got around this one by watching hours upon hours of PBS. "I'll show them! I'm going to watch Ghostwriter till my eyes fall out!" I would ferret away that one hour for delicious viewings of Ducktales or Scooby Doo. Tales of daring, do bad and good, indeed.

You only get the special spoon every other day
In our kitchen drawer of tastefully simple silverware there lurked one rogue spoon, all full of curlicues and baroque detailing. Obviously, being the princesses that we were, my sister and I both had eyes for this fancy piece of spoonery and much fighting ensued. Thus, the spoon rule was born and we begrudgingly shared it between us every other day. Until we got old enough to fight over computers and bathroom usage.

What rules did you have as a child?

Posted by Sarah Von