HDQ/Ask Nic

Welcome to the HDQ/Ask Nic for this week. Last week the subject was – what questions would you ask someone you just met and wanted to know more about? My answers to your questions were posted yesterday.

This week I will give you five questions to choose from for the HDQ. You can choose to answer one, a couple or all of them. As per usual, I will provide an answer to all of them.

HDQ:

1. When you were in a situation where something struck you as funny, but it was inappropriate to laugh, what did you do to suppress the laughter? Explain the situation.

Back, oh probably 13-14 years or so ago, I was sitting in church in the very back pew with my mom and we were standing for hymns. Somehow during the sitting and the standing I developed a wedgie. I thought, ok, everyone’s standing and I am in the back row of the pew, I can do this discretely without anyone noticing. So, I very stealthily snuck my hand back and gave a little tug to free the offending piece of clothing and then did a little wiggle to make sure it wasn’t headed back again anytime soon. Wouldn’t you know, as soon as I did that I realized that...not only was I sitting in the middle of the back pew, but the shutters to the foyer were open b/c it was an overflow crowd and I had several rows of people behind me that saw me pick a wedge in the middle of singing hymns. I started laughing and told my mom what happened. She started snickering. We tried hard to not laugh during the offering and sermon but it was really difficult. I held my breath and gave myself a fierce headache. I still laugh over it today.

2. If you have a nickname, what is it, how did you get it? What do you HATE to be called the most and why?

My nickname is Nic. My former roommate back in ’95-’96 gave it to me. I called her Aims. To this day everyone still calls me Nic and I really like it.

I HATE to be called Nikki/Nikkie/Nicky/Niki of any form, spelling, whatever. HAAAAAAATE that name. Not that I haven’t known some perfectly nice Nikki’s in my life but there was a girl on our high school squad named Nikki who was always so pert and perky and cheery and it was all fake and just syrup sweet. ICK!

3. What is your favorite poem, quote or saying and why is it your favorite?

Gosh, I’ll have to think about this one and get back to you on it. Leave it to me to come up with a question that I don’t have a ready answer to off the top of my head.

4. What’s your favorite bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan?

Ok, this one is easier...Jesus loves you but everyone else thinks you’re an a$$hole. Yes, I know it’s bad but there are a few people who I could apply that saying to today.

5. What childhood accident stands out in your mind?

When I was in summer camp between my 4th and 5th grade I was at an in-town summer camp. A girl had gotten a glass jar of cold water out of the fridge against the orders of the teachers and it slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor. I remember walking away and kids were freaking out. Really freaking out. All of the sudden one of the camp counselors ran over and was making a big deal out of me walking, etc. I had no idea what they were talking about or what the fuss was. I was FINE. They said, “No, Nicole you’re not. Look down.” I did and apparently a piece of glass had ricocheted from the floor and sliced my left foot right where the 4th toe met the foot. I looked back and blood was everywhere. Each time I took a step blood just literally gushed out from the cut. There were lovely little puddles of blood everywhere I had stepped.

I took off and started walking downhill to the office very matter of factly. It didn’t bother me at all. I felt no pain – at that time. The counselors were freaking out and I simply told them I had to go call my mom b/c she needed to know. One of the counselors carried me back uphill and told me to sit down, that they would call my mom for me. They then took me to the minor emergency to see how bad it was. I was fine until they told me on the drive over that I would most likely need stitches. As soon as I heard the word “stitches” the pain endorphins kicked into high gear and my foot became a throbbing, stinging mass of excruciating pain. Weird how that happens. It turns out I needed 6 stitches (stinking doctor had to give me the shot INSIDE of the cut to numb it. Talk about PAIN!). I was told that if the glass had gone even one millimeter deeper the tendons in that area would have been severed. I still have a pretty good scar there even now.

Even re-telling it I can smell the coppery scent of blood in my nose – memories are really strange that way. I’ve never broken any bones or had any real bad accidents as a kid but that one I can say I remember with absolute clarity. Haven’t had any stitches since – knocking on wood, crossing fingers, saying a prayer that I don’t have to either.

Up next is Ask Nic:
This is the place where you can ask me anything that is on your mind about me, something you have wanted to know or were just curious about in general. You can ask about my experiences in life and love and parenting, my beliefs, etc... Be creative, be fun, be introspective, but please be clean! You can post the questions in the comments section or email me your question directly to asknic@gmail.com.

I will be posting the questions and their responses soon so check back within the next week for them. They probably will be up over the weekend or early next week if I get enough questions.

Thanks again everyone who participated last week! I really enjoyed answering your questions!