What is a 'Lemon Chin'?

So it turns out I survived our pending Rapture. I turned 24 and so far no fiery hailstorms or Jesus sightings. But now that the end of the world seems to be taking a breather I guess I should forge on this literary mission.

What is a Lemon Chin? My family and friends were surprised by the name of my blog. They had no idea what a Lemon Chin was or looked like. My husband penned the nickname after seeing the photo on my work ID. A Lemon Chin is when someone, male or female, has plump cheeks but a pointy chin--similar to a lemon.

I will say this is one of the nicknames I prefer as my husband has many for me most of which focus on my messy, klutzy and emotional tendencies. Some of these names include, though not limited to: Mucky Pup, Silly Cow (referring to the fact that I cry during America's Got Talent or Teen Mom), Fanny Anne, Shrek (yes ogre) and of course Lemon Chin.



Mine were bushier



Being dubbed Lemon Chin when there are far worse nicknames in the world seems like a nice trade off. I remember when I was in middle school, my eyebrows had a growth spurt and rapidly increased their bushiness. Being called 'Unibrow' or having people put their finger to eyebrow to simulate a thick brow (note the singular of brow) was a bit depressing. It also was an odd spin to the Hitler mustache...so I guess think of that mustache pasted to a young girl's forehead.

Turns out it is not exotic or sexy to have a Frida Kahlo look at the age of 13. My mother was against tweezing my bushman brows in my early teens but they started to blend in my hairline at the sides. Yes, thick eyebrows are attractive but caterpillar eyebrows are not.

I used to think the nicknames that my parents gave me were embarrassing enough. My dad called me Shoshe and my mother called me Beckarini. They were reasonably fair about not calling me these nicknames in public and reserving them for birthday cards only.

When I was in Ireland and at an apartment party or 'flat rave' a guy labeled me as "fertile hips". This was more a pickup-line-gone-wrong rather than nickname but then all of my Irish friends started to call me 'Fertile Myrtle'. This was not a favorite nickname as everyone who heard it would look at my womb expecting me to be expecting.

So I guess Lemon Chin is not so bad after all. Nicknames can be cruel, sweet and everything between. But I figure if the nickname is awarded to me by the man I married then it is a term of endearment rather than a term of annoyance.



Lemon Chin Puppies?



P.S. I love that when I search for Lemon Chin only photos of these odd looking puppies come up. These puppies remsemble old men...kind of like my Papa Jerry who lives in Florida with all of the other elderly Jews. 

May 21, 2011--End of the World?

I was on the subway the other day and noticed an ad. Even though I am in the advertising world, I never pay attention to advertisements on the subway. The messages are usually about how the MTA is working hard to improve on their service, even though the 7 train is completely unreliable, and how the MTA has decreased their phone numbers from 117 to three....not sure what the other 114 were used for but curious to find out.



Love that there is a 'doomsday code'

 Anyway, this ad was different because it stated "The world will end on May 21, 2011." Apparently, this date refers to Judgement Day (something I know nothing about) and thus we are all screwed.

First off, I find this a bit harsh. If we are all going to perish can we at least know how. God told Noah about the floods in time so he could build an arc. I would like the same type of advantage.

Secondly, my birthday is on May 22nd and I think it is a bit unfair to die 24 hrs before I turn 24. That might sound slightly selfish but this is my POV.

So if we are going to die tomorrow and technically today is my last day on this earth, I thought it might be a good idea to start a blog. Why? Because then there is a message in a virtual bottle and hopefully the next earth inhabitants will discover it.

To start my obituary I will explain a little bit about me:

I live in Sunnyside, Queens which is conveniently located near Manhattan but far enough to avoid trashy clubs and fist-pumpers. Sunnyside reminds me of a Jewish grandmother...it smells but it has an odor so distinct it is considered homey.

I live in an apartment with my husband Adrian. Married at 24 is not what I expected but I am a converted believer in the whole "soulmate" concept....to be discussed in future blogs (if I survive). My husband is from the UK and we had to fight for him to stay here...also to be explained in future blogs. He is my best friend and keeps me laughing.

My parents are divorced. Nothing new here--very standard divorce. The only interesting thing about my family is that we have grown so rapidly it takes a forest to describe my family tree. To sum it up, I have four parents, one full brother, two half brothers (Dad's side), one stepbrother and one stepsister (both Mom's additions). It is the nuclear family of the future. Interestingly enough, everyone gets along and we even had Thanksgiving dinner as one family. A far cry from the custody battles we endured as young ones but apparently we are all happy.

I graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Journalism and the hope to become the next J.K. Rowling. I love fiction and I am also a HUGE Harry Potter fan. My husband makes fun of me but at least I am not scribbling a lightening scar on my head...though I cried when Dobby died.

I also had hopes of writing for a magazine or newspaper when I left my safe haven at IU but that dream was instantly crushed due to the economy, transition of the print industry AND the fact that writers are paid peanuts. College loans people..Sallie Mae knocking!

So I work in Corporate Communications and for the most part it is A-OK. I still hold on to hope that I will write a novel and become a columnist but for now this will do. It is a stressful job and requires a commitment of not only time but your youth.

I live to travel. Traveling to me is like walking around in a stranger's story. I had a different narrator for every city I visited and I hope to be a nomad at some point in my life. Favorite cities...Prague, Barcelona and London.

I hate grammar...so do not expect perfect writing. That is the one thing I did not learn from my journalism courses. I write how I right.

OK that sums me up for now so at least if I do perish with the world tomorrow there is some record of who I am.

However, if by some miracle I survive and the subway ad was just ppurchased by religious fanatics...I will be back.