Pronouns and the Lovely Blog Award…

I’m telling you… missing the “l” in the word “blog” changes the whole meaning of the title. My blog is not only dry but it’s (sadly) 100% amphibian free.

So for the last three days I’ve referred to Jeremy using they/them for pronouns and have come to the conclusion that people really don’t listen. I say “they” and the person who I’m speaking to replies with “he” and so it continues. There was only one exception:

“And this is Jeremy,” I said as I turned my phone around to face a coworker. She looked at the screen and smiled.

“Oh, she’s lovely. She’s absolutely beautiful.”

Jeremy is lovely and beautiful so I simply said thanks.

Then Jeremy and I had an interesting (albeit brief) conversation last night. I was scrolling through Facebook when Jeremy came over behind me and started looking over my shoulder. For a kid who’s never on Facebook and only has two friends (Emma and I), they’re very interested in my page.

“What’s that?” they asked, pointing at the pictures I was viewing.

“That’s N’s cottage, they just got a new roof,” I replied. Jeremy looked a bit closer.

“Zie’s got a lovely cottage.”

It took me a few seconds to clue in. “Oh,” I blurted. “Wrong they. I was talking about N and her husband.”

I’m thinking this pronoun might have a bit of a learning curve.

 

I was on the bus home today, scrolling idly through Facebook, when I discovered I got nominated for the Lovely Blog Award, thanks Dandelion Fuzz 🙂

Okay, so I need to say seven facts about me. Hmm… this is where over-sharing in the about section becomes irritating…

1. I’m a vegan. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that before but I’m sitting here staring at a stack of belated birthday chocolate bars from Lenny while my soup stock boils behind me and that’s the first thing that came to mind. I became a vegetarian in my early 20’s (thinking… I’m pretty sure I was 21 or 22 years old) then became a vegan in May 2013 (so at 42 years old).

2. I love to read; especially science fiction and fantasy. The sad thing is I used to read all the time and pretty much everywhere but now I spend a good chunk of my time… hold on, that can be point number three.

3. I love to write and really want to be a novelist, which is why I spend most of my time writing (and editing) instead of reading. I’ve got one general fiction book and one young adult fantasy written and am working on a second general fiction book while editing the young adult fantasy and rewriting the damn query letter for the first general fiction book. I hate query letters by the way.

4. I struggle with anxiety and depression. I’m currently not on any medication for them but am thinking that might change soon

5. I’ve got a really crappy sense of balance. I was a kid in the 70’s and one year everyone had a pogo stick. I begged for one and got it for Christmas. That following summer I tried so hard to use it. I’d see all the other kids bouncing up and down the street, even having conversations while bouncing. Meanwhile I’d drag my stick to the chain link fence, carefully climb onto the foot stands (???), then let go of the fence… only to fall over. I spent hours out there and never managed even one bounce. That whole section of our driveway was covered in half-moon indents from the bottom of the stick.

6. I’m quite introverted in real life but also love to talk to people (in small doses with lots of time to recharge). I stink at small talk and have been asked and/or accused of being autistic several times. I have no idea if I am or not. My official diagnosis (which I know I’ve mentioned before) is that I’m a square peg in a round hole. I did ask my doctor how I’d get tested and got a blank look and a confused, “I don’t know”. I’m also generally described as weird.

7. (I’m so tempted just to copy something from my about page)  Okay… I truly, deeply stink at math. I’m not talking about disliking it (although I’ll admit to a certain amount of loathing by this point). Here, I googled dyscalculia for additional information. This was first brought up by Amy’s counselor when we were teens then I went to my school’s guidance department for help. One of the counselors was willing to try out an IQ test they had just kicking around. He shared some of my results; my language skills were college level and my math skills were at a cringingly low grade 1 level… meanwhile I was floundering through advanced grade 10 math. He decided that couldn’t show a learning disability though because once everything was averaged out, I ended up with a normal IQ. Umm… it doesn’t work that way.

Onward to the rules…

Rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.
2. List the rules and display the award.
3. Include seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers and let them know about the award.
5. Display the award and follow the blogger who nominated you (if not already!)

I’m supposed to nominate 15 other bloggers because apparently Kat thinks I’m more social than I really am. Oh wait, she only nominated (counts) 10 so I’ve got precedent to skimp here 🙂 And, in alphabetical order (links open on a new tab)…

1. A quick smile

2. Fjarilar och Zebror (the blog is in English)

3. janitorqueer (now I get to nominate you for an award LOL)

4. My Migraine Family

5. Neutrois Nonsense

6. Shades of Lenny Grey

7. Shh… It’s me, Emma (my daughter’s blog)

8. Trains and Dresses

9. transdoctor

10. Transiteration

11. Year of the Dyke (she’s already been nominated… what’s one more time LOL)

And, now, I’ve got an absolutely crappy sore throat so I’m going to make myself a pot of stew, wrap myself up in a blanket, and whine.