Four Things Meme
by Jenners • 06/21/2011 • My Take On..., Randomosity • 82 Comments
I had seen this meme going around a month or so ago and thought “I’ll save that for when I’m in need of a post and just don’t have any inspiration. Well, folks, that time is now!
Four jobs I’ve had in my life:
- Hotel chambermaid (Horrible job. Put me off cleaning forever. Once found a kid who had seemingly been abandoned by her parents.)
- Bus girl at a buffet (Horrible job. I always smelled like fried chicken. Never got tips because it was a buffet.)
- Photographer’s assistant (Not quite what I had envisioned. I mostly spent my time matching negatives to photos. Once I accidentally cut someone’s giant wedding photo in half.)
- Editor (I wielded my red pen like a sword, but the text I had to read and edit was so dry and technical that it was soul-killing.)
Four books I would read over and over (even though I’m a devout non-re-reader I will cop to reading these books more than once):
- Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs
- A Girl Called Zippy by Haven Kimmel
- Made In America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States by Bill Bryson
- The Classics Reclassified by Richard Armour
Four places I have lived:
- Sasebo, Japan
- Great Falls, Montana
- Eugene, Oregon
- Paoli, Pennsylvania
Four books I would recommend:
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
- The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (review coming soon!)
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Four places I have been:
- Belfast, Ireland
- London, England
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
Four of my favorite foods:
- Chocolate (preferably dark), especially wrapped inside a croissant
- Pizza
- Warm bread with butter (real butter!)
- Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Four of my favorite drinks:
- Water
- Fresh-made lemonade
- Tomato juice (I know!!!)
- Shirley Temples (I order this and try to pass it off as an “adult” drink but no one is ever fooled. I always ask for extra cherries.)
Four places I would rather be right now:
- One of those places in Fiji or Bali where you can get those huts that are built out over the water
- At the movies watching Bridesmaids
- Seeing Europe with Leonard DiCaprio (do you think I can pass myself off as Blake Lively? Our body types are SOOOOOO similar … if you have really bad cataracts.)
- In a time machine heading back to 1990 where I could make some key changes to improve my current life
Four things that are very special in my life:
- My son and husband (duh!!)
- Reading
- “Alone” time
- Vacations
Four bloggers I hope will do this meme:
- Those who are in desperate need of a post idea
- Big-time bloggers who will link back to my blog and give me traffic
- Robert Downey Jr. (does he blog?)
- You
Holy crap! I grew up near Great Falls! To be quite honest, I got so excited seeing that one piece of information, I didn’t really retain anything else below that!
Cool! Where did you grow up? I lived there in high school for 3 years but my family still lives there. In fact, I’m flying out to visit my brother there next week!
I am just in shock right now!
I grew up in White Sulphur, right over King’s Hill! My mom actually works in GF during the week. We actually have a few other family members and friends in that area as well. This is so weird!! 
Now you’ve got me wondering if we know some of the same people. We should chat more sometime about it! Feel free to email me! 
Too cool!!! I only lived there for 3 years in high school (1981 – 1985) and then I moved away but my family lived there for 20+ years. My brother is still out there. In fact, we are going to visit him next week!!!! I’ll have to e-mail you when I get back and it isn’t so crazy to compare notes.
Sounds great! Take some pictures of some mountains for me!! I live where there is none now!
Cool post! I’ve heard of The Book Thief and I’m keeping an eye out for it.
Lemonade and dark chocolate, yum!
Yay … another dark chocolate fan. And definitely check out The Book Thief .. it is universally loved for a reason!
I don’t think I knew that you lived in Japan – very cool.
Can I join in fiji?
If you can somehow cover the airfare and hotel fees, why of course you can join Fiji!! HAHA!
LOVE the last one, especially! What if Robert Downey Jr DID blog, needed a post idea for his big-time site, read your blog, and then borrowed the meme? That would cover all four in your last list in one fell swoop! Which would be awesome. Fun learning some random things about you. I don’t think I’m so fun, but if I find myself in need of a post, I’ll keep this in mind
I would just DIE (and go to heaven) if your little scenario came true! Who knows, maybe celebrities Google their names and find obscure sites like mine. I’ll seduce him with my wit! HAHA!
I’m sure “big time” blogs envy YOUR traffic! Lol, you are so much fun. I do want to know what you would change though, other than meeting the ever so adorable Mr. Jenners earlier and saving yourself the anguish of your first practice marriage.
I would not have been so quick to leave my first job either. It being my first job, I didn’t realize what a good one it was until I got other ones!!!
Great meme to read. I think you have a good amount of material for an interesting memoir some day. I may be stealing this meme idea very soon!
It is such a fun meme to do … and to read. I love reading it on other blogs as you always learn something new about the person!
Fun post! I’ve been wanting to read The Book Thief for some time now. You’ve been to 4 awesome places!! But I think tomato juice is gross….lol. And I wonder if Robert Downey Jr blogs….
You must read The Book Thief. And everyone else in my family thinks tomato juice is gross. I have no competition for it!
I love this meme and really enjoyed reading your responses!
I too was a maid in a hotel. Once i found a room full of skin and used condom in the Bible. Horrible job, indeed.
Oh My God! This is horrific. A room full of skin???? WTF??? Did a serial killer stay there — Buffalo Bill? And a condom in a Bible has got to be the grossed and most blasphemous thing ever.
AAAAHHH you crack me up! Being put off cleaning forever, cutting the wedding pic in half (I once dropped the top small cake off a persons wedding cake – you know the one they save for the first anniversary?) Oh and Shirley Temples!
I think your cake story beats my cutting the wedding photo!
I want to know what are the key things in 1990 that you would go back to change and improve your current life!!!
There is so much. That was right at the cusp of making a bunch of bad decisions (leaving my first job when I should have stayed, getting married the first time to the wrong person, etc.) Of course, I would have to go back with 20/20 hindsight so I didn’t make the same mistakes again!
I adore 3 of the 4 books you’ve recommended, so obviously I need to read The Tea Rose now.
yes … you need to read The Tea Rose. (And then you’ll have to read The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose.) It is good old-fashioned historical fiction adventure/love story/drama that is perfect for getting lost in.
Wow you lived in some awesome places. I would miss OR and MT I think, unless you were very young when you lived there.
I moved to MT when I was in high school — lived there 3 years. Went to college in OR — lived there 4 hours. It is Japan that I don’t really remember as I was baby/toddler when I lived there … and that is the one I wish I could remember!
Did I know you were a fellow Oregonian? (My memory is crap, so we might’ve discussed this already.) I think we should make a pilgrimage to Powell’s to reconnect with our heritage.
I went to college in Eugene — but I did earn my residency status while there!!!! So I’m not sure this makes me an official Oregonian but perhaps an honorary one? Love that state!!!
I love the book A Girl Named Zippy, and everything by Haven Kimmel. So much like Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons, which I also love. Have you read What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges? I’ll read that book anywhere, anyplace. Can’t believe you cut that wedding pic in half. I was a waitress (which I actually loved) and dropped a filet mignon right on a lady’s thigh. She was wearing light-blue polyester slacks, this being the ’70s.
Wasn’t A Girl Named Zippy wonderful? I fell in love with that book from the moment I saw the cover! And it sounds like you were a waitress in a much more upscale restaurant than I was! ; )
i loved each of your four things and would
never dare to tread after you. i do have a
question though, why are you an adamant
non-re-reader?
i can’t enumerate the books i enjoyed MORE
the second time, because i savored them
knowing the ending already.
I’m an adamant non-re-reader because there are so many books out there that I haven’t read the first time!! You do make a good point that you might get more out of them the second time. I also fear losing the magic that might have been there the first time … like beloved books from my childhood. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone!
Your blogs are always fun – and you are funny!
Aw shucks. Thanks! ; )
that was fun–I’ll put a star on this and try it some time when I’m looking for a post idea. and now I’ve just got to try chocolate in a croissant and read your 4 recommends.
Chocolate croissants are amazing!! Best when the chocolate is a little melty!
Actually Jenners I did grow up to be a fashion designer, or at least until my son was born, then I got a better job, being a mom.
Ha! I knew it!!!!
You have lived in and visited some really neat places! And I also like tomato juice. It’s not my favorite drink, that honor would have to go to coke zero, but I do like me some tomato juice too.
Yay! Another tomato juice lover! My parents couldn’t believe that I liked it. I was always a very picky eater but I took to tomato juice early on. Almost no one else I know likes it!!! : )
Working in restaurants suck in general. You always smell like whatever is cooking.
I think Blake better watch out. She has no idea who she is messing with.
It is a shame I didn’t work in a chocolate shop … that would be a smell I wouldn’t mind having cling to me!
And if Leonardo has a catastrophic eye injury, I think I’m in! : )
A great meme, I had no idea you had lived in so many different places – it makes the fact that I have never lived more than 20 or so miles from
my birthplace seem very boring. Still, I’m willing to give it a go and will, of course, link back to you.
My family was the “adventuresome” one. Most of my relatives never lived more than 20 miles from their birthplace. My mom and dad were “crazy radicals” — especially when they moved to Montana!
Wow – I learned so many interesting things about you. Sounds like your job experience prepared you well for being a stay-at-home mom. You have experience cleaning up other people’s messes.
Now that you point that out, I realize I was always preparing to be a stay-at-home mom! Who knew!?
Chocolate in a croissant is heavenly! I’m with you on the real butter too! That margarine crap is nasty!
I’m not a re-reader either. I can only think of a few books that I’ve read more than once.
Did you enjoy Belfast? I’m heading there in Sept.
Belfast was OK … it was before the whole cease fire thing (which was signed a few weeks after we were there) so I was very stressed out when there! You must go see those Giant’s Footstep rock formations though, which are located not too far away from there … super cool!!!! The roads were markedly better in Northern Ireland too. It was almost like night and day.
Haven’t been around much lately, but wanted to say hi and let you know that I find you funny as ever! Hope life is treating you well… I’ll be back soon to read more, i promise!
Hey!! I know you have been super busy what with all your life changes and moving and stuff. Never apologize for having a REAL LIFE! : )
totally with you on the extra cherries!!
Yay!!! The most I ever got was 8 cherries. I felt a bit sick afterwards.
I was a chambermaid too for a budget chain. Ugh. Will NEVER EVER stay there! :–)
I hear you! Nothing like knowing how slapdash the maid cleaning is from being a maid to make you never ever want to stay in one of those hotels!
I love your takes on memes! You always have the best answers that makes me wish I could have your sense of humor
By the way, I read “The Book Thief” after you recommended it. It was a little hard getting use to the unusual narrative but once you get into the book, it’s impossible to put down. I second your recommendation!
I might have to borrow this meme from you one of these days!
Oh I’m so glad you tried The Book Thief. It is unusual but I got so involved in it after a bit. I was sobbing through the last quarter of the book. A good cry = a good read to me.
You lived in Japan? Well, that’s groovy. And when I return to NJ, we should meet in the middle and go see “Bridesmaids”. xxoo
I lived in Japan when I was a baby. My dad was in the Navy. I don’t really remember any of it! Darn! And that would be cool to check out Bridesmaids together. If we could just shake these pesky kids!!!
I would love to live in England and Jamaica. Not permanently, but perhaps 6 months out of the year. I don’t like editing other people’s work, it feels like work. I don’t like doing anything that feels like work. Work gives me a headache. I find if I do things I love, even if it’s work per se, it won’t feel like it. I love warm bread with honey butter, taste so good.
I can relate to the posting a meme, somedays I feel like that. I felt like that today, so I just didn’t post. I just didn’t feel like forcing it. It was a blah kinda day, so I called in sick….can you do that on your own blog? Haha.
I don’t like things that feel like work either, which is why I avoid it at all costs. And I do think we are all the bosses of our own blogs. I’ve been quite a slacker at posting lately (ahem … summer vacation) and if I didn’t do a meme post, I might not have posted for more than a week! : )
Wait, you aren’t a big time blog? Why am I reading?!
I am so glad that you loved The Tea Rose. I loved that book so much last year and I can’t believe that I haven’t read The Winter Rose.
I am so with you on the foods, although I’d sustitute some crazy chocolate thing for the mint ice cream.
I am so looking forward to seeing Bridesmaids again!
I don’t think I’m a big time blog … but please don’t drop me.
I fell for the Tea Rose books big time. I’ve now read all of them after scoring an ARC for The Wild Rose … the last one of the trilogy.
And I’ve heard Bridesmaids is so good … I MUST see it soon!
Thanks for the giggle – a great post! And tell us more about your time in Japan! I’d love to hear some stories…
I’d love to tell you more about my time in Japan but I lived there when I was 1 through 3 … I don’t remember all that much! I have some stories that my parents told me but not real memories of my own.
Great! I’ve missed games with Jenners so I might have to participate. Although,. I have my 400th posting going up tonight along with a giveaway so maybe in another few days or so.
And at your recommendation, I read Time Travelers Wife – it is good. I passed it along to my mom and hubby. About 50% done with the Packing for Mars book. I, too, value my alone time but lately it’s been small so not much time for reading.
I’ll have to come up with another game! I kind of forgot about that. (Which is why I’m a terrible blogger at times.) And the beauty of this meme is that you can do it whenever you want!
Now if you actually could go back to 1990 and fix things, are you sure you’d have met Mr. Jenners, and had The Little One? Every act is determined on a previous act, I think. You may have had a wonderful career and remained single, or married a Mr. Unjenners, and had a very different life.
And right about now, Mr. Unjenners would tell you that he was leaving you for his best friend, Mike.
Isn’t life now a lot better than that?
Well, one of the things I would do is NOT marry the Mr. Unjenners I married before Mr. Jenners … and I’d hunt down Mr. Jenners earlier in life so we could marry earlier and try to give the Little One a sibling. Plus we’d try and buy our current house BEFORE the housing boom made it cost 3X more than it would have been if we’d bought it when we were built.
“Those who are in desperate need of a blog post idea.” – Raising my hand!
I might be stealing this one.
I think that is why memes exist in the first place … to provide tired bloggers with post ideas when they can’t do it themselves.
Love your answers! I’ve never like cleaning, didn’t even have to be a chambermaid to get put off. Actually, it was my mom’s fault. She was such a neat freak when I was growing up (she’s mellowed), that I think I went into instant rebellion….
I could see rebelling against!! Good choice! Haha!
I can imagine how awful being a chambermaid would be – people are gross. I’ve never been one, so I’m not sure why I’ve been “put off” cleaning.
It was eye-opening how disgusting people can be. And I worked at a budget hotel chain … not the best class of people there either.
four things meme.
Four Jobs I’ve had in my life.
Sales assoiciate in Fabricland. Made a lot of clothes those few years, worked really hard.
Night school Instructor for sewing. It seems a lot of ladies got machines and had no idea how to sew. So I showed them.
Dressmaker/ in my own business. Good times, not too much money.
Patterndrafter/designer children’s wear, Hugs and Kisses Line. hated getting up so early and coming home late, the industry starts at 7a.m. and I lived way out of town, took me hours to get to work. hated my boss.
Four books I would read over and over again.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Any and all Agatha Christie Books
Devils Arithmetic
King Rat,
Four Place I have lived.
Hamilton, Ont.
Mississauga Ont.
Etobicoke, Ont. and that’s it! I’m a stay around kinda gal.
Four Books I would Recommend.
King Rat, China Meilville.
Deloume Road, Matthew Hooton
Birth House, Amy Makay
The Girls, Lori Lansens
Four Places I have been.
Disney World, Florida
Krakow, Poland
Puerto Rico
Montreal, Quebec
Four of my favourite foods.
Crepes, Coquelles St. Jacques
Fiddleheads, with melted butter
Pear and Celeric soup
Blueberry Cheesecake
Four of my favourite drinks.
Earl Grey Tea
Rum and coke
Shiraz
Champagne
(do you see a theme here)
Four Place I’d rather be right now.
I’m good with here for now.
Four things that are very special in my life.
My family.
My Faith
My Health
My Hobbies.
I’ve already done my post for today so I’ll just hope others do the meme on their blog. What fun.
I’m amazed with that background that you didn’t “grow up” to be a fashion designer! And I can’t believe I forgot crepe! Chocolate/banana crepes are a thing of beauty. And even though you didn’t live too many different places, it seems like you are pretty well traveled!
It is fun to read this meme. You do find out quite a bit about someone. Thanks for sharing yours!
Hmmm. I don’t guess I can do this one. I’ve only lived in three places! Glad to know I’m not the only one who rarely (if ever) re-reads books. Too many I haven’t read to waste time reading one again.
This was fun! (and a few of your answers would be in my list, too)
You’ve only lived in three places ever!! That is something. Though my husband was the same way. I came from a “moving” family.
4 reasons I like your meme post:
1. It’s funny.
2. It’s funny.
3. It’s funny.
4. It’s funny.
4 reasons I like your comment:
1. You’re kind.
2. You imitated the meme format.
3. You flatter me.
4. You’re truthful. : )