The Friday Five

Today's Friday Five:

What was...

1. ...your first grade teacher's name?
Mrs. Alexander. She was a tall, willowy blonde with a short, chic haircut.

2. ...your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?
Kimba the White Lion. Also, Star Trek. Of the latter, mostly I remember two things: there was a crew member parts of whose body floated separately from eachother. I always thought it was a cool idea but ultimately silly because a body couldn't survive like that. Some little scientist I was. I also remember the episode that flashes back to Spock's childhood, written by D.C. Fontana. It's the one episode that diehard Trek fans consider canon of all the animated episodes made.

3. ...the name of your very first best friend?
Sheila Mann. She and her family moved to Nashville when we were still very young. I imagine she had a very different life in Tennessee than she would have had if she'd stayed on Long Island. I occasionally wonder what ever happened to her.

4. ...your favorite breakfast cereal?
When I was a kid? Frosted Flakes. Now? Honey Bunches of Oats.

5. ...your favorite thing to do after school?
In elementary school, it was going to dancing classes. I studied tap and ballet and wanted to be just like Cyd Charisse and Anne Miller. I was never quite tall enough or slim enough to do it, but I was always pretty good on stage. In high school, it was drama club, hands down.

Strangely distanced and vaguely reluctant

It's how I'm feeling about attending the Nebula Awards here in Seattle. It's been years since I attended, and what I remember of the several I attended as an editor at Bantam was that at worst it felt like a glorified corporate banquet; at best it felt like a really good dinner with fine friends and a little too much talking at the podium. It's just been years since I've gone, and I suspect it may feel odd going with no official affiliation.

Still and all, I've finally started making some plans partly because I've discovered that people are coming into town from Back East whom I very much want to see, partly because I promised the_monkey_king I would go, and partly because I'm beginning to think that picking up some freelance work (which I've strongly resisted until now) is looking like a good idea. And the truth is that, as I've said here before, it's always nice to have an excuse to get dressed up.

Besides, I know that there are local friends who will be attending who are going just to experience it; seeing them will be comforting. Seeing them dressed up will be ... novel. We're a pretty casual crew here in the PNW, and the Nebs tend to bring out the sparklies. My decision now will be, do I go full-length sparkly or business-length sparkly? Just that thought alone lightens the prospect of attending.