Over the years, I’ve occasionally posted “icebreakers” as a way to get to know you Magpies better (some favorite rounds here, here, and here). Your answers are always pure gold — rich, insightful, surprising. They corroborate my suspicion that Magpies are the the coolest, kindest, most interesting readers on the Internet. Today, sharing a fresh set — please join in the fun by sharing your responses in the comments. I’ll copy and paste the prompts first and answer myself beneath.
Preferred style and accompaniment to French fries.
Surprising thing you prefer to do alone.
Surprising thing you prefer to do with company.
Most comfortable thing you own.
Unpopular food opinion.
Something someone has said about you that completely shocked you.
First or last on the plane?
“Old person thing” that you do.
In a rom com set-up, the book you’d be reading when your suitor stumbles into your life.
If you could go back in time and make little changes to your childhood, what would you learn to master over the years so you’d be an expert at it today?
Favorite smell?
Scariest villain.
*******
I’ll go first…
Preferred style and accompaniment to French fries. Thin and crispy, with malt vinegar or mayonnaise, and either a Coke (not diet) or glass of champagne.
Surprising thing you prefer to do alone. Run. I love the idea of running with other people, but I enjoy running primarily for the latitude it gives me to drift in and out of my own thoughts. When I’m running with other people, I’m always toggling into “awareness mode”: am I running too fast/slow relative to my partner’s pace? Does she want to talk to me? Should I signal that it’s time to turn around?
Surprising thing you prefer to do with company. I am 38 but I wish my mom or my husband could come with me to all of my doctor’s appointments. In reality, I exclusively go to them on my own, but I always long for their company — I get so nervous.
Most comfortable thing you own. A heather gray sweatshirt from high school, with my alma mater’s name across the front. At the end of a hard, long day, I can think of nothing better than taking a hot shower and putting it on.
Unpopular food opinion. I don’t love brunch or sushi. Brunch tampers with the rest of the flow of the day, and sushi — I really want to like it, and it’s not that I’m squeamish about the fish, but I simply never feel like ordering it.
Something someone has said about you that completely shocked you. I’ve been told a few times I’m “tough,” which is the absolute last way I’d characterize myself. I am so emotional! I wear my heart on my sleeve! Maybe there are different kinds of toughness, though. I’ve also been told several times I have a deeper voice than expected — ha! I think it’s because I’m small and feminine? People expect Minnie Mouse voice?
First or last on the plane? First. I am way too uptight to stroll into an airport with only minutes to spare.
“Old person thing” that you do. My husband would have a field day with this — there are many. The first thing that came to mind: there are many operations I must conduct on a desktop/laptop — like, I can’t stand ordering tickets for anything on my phone, and I prefer to do things like banking, emailing, form-filling on my desktop, too. This runs against the norms of my generation. I’ve also been harangued for years for the time(s) I’ve packed fruit in my carry-on bag because it would otherwise have gone bad while traveling. Like, sorry about this bruised banana!
In a rom com set-up, the book you’d be reading when your suitor stumbles into your life. Something by Fitzgerald.
If you could go back in time and make little changes to your childhood, what would you learn to master over the years so you’d be an expert at it today? This was a surprisingly provocative question for me. I thought of multiple things at once — tennis, piano (I took lessons for years but didn’t keep it up), public speaking. But then I thought: because I wasn’t doing tennis or piano intensively, I was doing other things–namely, writing. And so I can’t imagine changing anything. Still, one skill I am hoping to cultivate in my own children is comfort speaking in public. There are career applications, of course, but — don’t you want to be able to stand up and deliver a toast confidently? To interrupt a dinner conversation to make a quick “cheers” to the hostess? To command attention when you need to say something important to your family? Even, I think, to confidently order from a waiter or make a request of a manager? All of these things are born of public speaking. I am proficient at it, but it requires a lot of energy and legwork, and I’d prefer not to have to. I wish I weren’t this way!
Favorite smell? The smell of nature while hiking in Aspen, CO. The air is fresh, pine-y, clean. Ah!
Scariest villain. Disney’s Maleficent. (Wrote about that here.) Or Meredith Blake in “Parent Trap.” Yikes!!!
Your turn!
Shopping Break.
+Anthro’s Somerset dress has been a Magpie reader favorite for a few years now (they always release in different patterns/fabrics), but one of you reached out to share this striped iteration and I ordered it on the spot.
+These adorable sandals are in my cart…
+I just ordered these adorable gift enclosures for my children. We are heading into a dense season of birthday parties. I also have these, which are so cute with my favorite Rifle Paper gift wrap! These liberty floral ones are also darling.
+These are just THE BEST PENS. I can’t live without them.
+Two fun dressier dresses for events this spring/summer: this spectacular Rhode and this bold Sau Lee.
+Major look for less moment: my blue pillow shams from Serena and Lily versus these Amazon ones.
+I bought my son these blue suede drivers while on sale, with free shipping! Now I’m hunting for some spring dress shoes from my daughter — I just realized her mary janes from this winter no longer fit! I am contemplating this sweet pair from Boden.
+I did manage to snag her these frill socks, which sell out every time J. Crew releases them! While you’re there — how cute is this athletic skort for girls in the floral print? And for you: this on-trend crochet sweater. Chic CHIC.
+This Wayf dress is delivering major Reformation vibes for $128.
+OMG these floral shortalls for girls. SO cute.
+I know I’m a broken record, but you really must try this bronzing balm. It is UN-believable. I swipe a bit as the last layer on my face across my cheeks and the bridge of my nose and it gives this perfect, believable “I just sat outside for a few hours” glow.
+This top reminds me of Zimmermann.