Just one word

A well known upscale boutique grocery store in the heart of our city drew us in the other day. Even the farm fresh eggs go beyond the basic choice of white or brown.

So imagine you have just opened this egg carton: Which color would you reach for first? Which would you reach for last?

Why?

Any ideas?

You do know of course that each egg will taste pretty much the same, regardless of its shell color.

OK, that was an easy question.

Now for a hard one:

What is the one word that you think sums up where you live: by that I mean describes what the people think about, and are like.

In Eat, Pray, Love, the author and a friend agree that Italian town (Rome?) was thinking only one thought: SEX

New York is thinking ACHIEVE

Los Angles is thinking: SUCCESS

A student and I just spent a half hour trying to define Salt Lake City.

We finally decided the one word that describes the people and what they think is: MISSION.

To explain: The LDS came here on a mission, and send out their people on missions. The LDS and non-LDS seem acutely aware of their life mission: be it training for an Olympic event, growing a garden, raising a family, teaching, shopping, eating out...everything seems to be colored by having an individual mission in life. Not necessarily to be the best, or better, but to take on a vision and make it happen little by little.

I did a Google search, another person suggested the word "Choir"; and yes, that captured part of the musical bent of the place, the performance aspect, but ultimately even the choir sings as a mission more than for entertainment.

We decided Las Vegas would be Cupidity: a seeking of money, greed, lust.

New Orleans: Indulgent

I laughed to read that Sodoma Arizona was described as the Vatican of the New Age Movement. Perhaps a word that combines cosmic and ethereal would work; I need to think.

Here's your question: One word for your town, city, or a place you have been.

Figure out a few words, then take a look at the words in a Thesaurus to see if there is an even better word. Talk it over with some one. It really is a conversation starter.

I told the student that the one word for San Diego would be BEAUTIFUL. That is the word that people have in their mind: being beautiful, having beautiful things and experiences, staying beautiful...

We were astonished to see that was exactly the word that several others on the Internet chose for my home town.

Especially if we are talking about La Jolla specifically.

(PS: I'd grab the golden yellow egg second in from the right on the top row. I'd save the dark brown one for last, just because it is so special looking I'd like to enjoy seeing for awhile.)

Ahem...just thought I'd let you know....

Darlin' Mr. B. took the quiz. I sat next to him while he did it just to make sure he was totally truthful.

131 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Get a load of that score!

Scoring:
0-24 - Very Poor (Failure)

25-41 - Poor

42-58 - Average

59-75 - Superior

76+ - Very Superior

(He first took the test and checked all the bad responses just for fun, and got a -29. After that I sat next to him and made him answer truthfully.)

Guess I've got some work cut out for me if I want to be as good of a 1930's wife as he is a 1930's husband!

Actually, I am a Very Superior wife in any decade!

82 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Sara over at Much Ado About Something posted the above test on her blog.

After seeing her results I knew I wanted to take the test too.

As a Home Economist, I felt duty bound to not only take the test but to ace the homemaking part of it as well.

As a wife of 32 years, I was sure I could rock the wifey part too. Even though my speciality is being a 1910's wife. (See this post for inspiration about homemaking in that decade, just after the story about the raccoons. Having the Raccoons for dinner: all in a day's work for a Superior wife...)

And I'm a pretty good 1950's wife (Cocktails anyone? Jello mold?)

And of course I excelled at being a 1980's wife. Recession memories, pinching a dime, squeezing a nickle...ah, those were the days. Good practice for being a 2008 wife.

Well, I came close to getting an "A" on the test.

But what the heck, it is has been thirty two years since I graduated with a Home Ec. degree, and thirty one years of modern wifehood has made me a bit sloppy I guess.

(I'm sort of wondering about the pajamas vs. nightgown test question though. And also wonder how many people nowadays understand what "marital congress" means. Hint: You don't have to decide what side of the aisle you are on for voting purposes!)

Back to being a 2008 wife. Think green, recycle everything, think twice before running an errand in the SUV, and remember to think fiber when planning meals.

(Whine) Why can't I just be like everyone else?

Seriously.
I can't even remember how many times I have wished that I could be one of those people who are content with showing up to work to the same parking slot and doing the same thing day after day after day for twenty or thirty years, and then retire, and go on the same trips and eat the same food, and sleep in the same colored room as I painted it 30 years ago, and be happy talking for thirty minutes at a time about what people did different with their hair and what I am doing with my hair, and what you ate last Sunday at your Mama's and how the macaroni recipe was a little different this time because I used them big macaroni things instead of the little macaroni thing, you know, the one Kenny likes so much?
And how my car used to get 26 and a half miles per gallon, but since I've been buying gas at the supermarket it just doesn't seem to be doing as good, last week we only got 24 and a half miles per gallon, and that just doesn't seem right.
And I could say things like "I'm fixin to go to the store to get me some milk and some of that really good bread, you know, the ones with the little seeds on top? " and that would be normal.
Oh lordy.
I just described life in Texas.

No wonder I don't fit in. The other 7% of women like me sure as heck don't live here either!

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

OK, so I'm a natural blond....

I've got to be dumb about something.
Just to keep my Dumb Blonde membership active.

You Failed 8th Grade Science

Sorry, you only got 5/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

But Bernie HATES Olives....

What Color Green am I?
Oh no!
Bernie can't stand olives!

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Oh yeah, flirting in the library..

...with a guy needing the documents on Texas insurance.
Get me outta here!

You Are a Natural Flirt

Believe it or not, you're a really effective flirt. And you're so good, you hardly notice that you're flirting. Your attitude and confidence make you a natural flirt. And the fact that you don't know it is just that more attractive!

What Kind of

Novelist, writer, college professor, art director, graphic designer

I've been all of those!
HOW do these tests do it?

Your Career Personality: Original, Devoted, and Service Oriented

Your Ideal Careers: Art director Book editor College professor Composer Film director Graphic designer Novelist Stage actor Psychiatrist Writer

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

Whew...I was afraid they were going to say....

Australia. Or Canada. Or some other imaginary place.

What English Speaking Country Are You?

You Belong in the USA

Sweet! People either love you or hate you And you really don't care what anyone thinks Big and bold, you do things your way

What English Speaking Country Are You?