Patrick's Place

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Saturday Six

1. Q is for QINTAR: Have you ever owned a piece of foreign currency, and if so, what country did it come from?

The first time I remember having foreign currency of my own was at the Denver airport when my sister had just returned from Sierra Leone in about 1970. For some reason, she had been routed through Prague--remember, this was when it was still "behind the Iron Curtain"--and had changed money there. She had some left over, so she gave me one of the larger coins.

...which I left on the sink in the bathroom at the airport. Dumb me!

Since then, I've traveled to a couple of dozen countries and brought money back from all of them. I was in Europe pre- and post-Euro usage, so I have both kinds of currency. I also have some odd stuff that others have given me for whatever reason over the years.

The weirdest currency I've ever dealt with was the "foreign visitor" scrip we were given in China in 1985--it was about the same weight and feel as kids pretend money. Think tin coins. It wasn't really accepted in traditional Chinese stores because it was hard to exchange for real money if your shop wasn't on the government-sponsored tourist list.

2. Q is for QUADRAGENARIAN: Are you or did you look forward to being 40? Why or why not?

Forty sounds wonderful to me right now, having just flipped over to 50 last fall. Actually, looking back, my early 40s weren't bad. The last few years sucked, though.

3. Q is for QUENCH: What drink do you most often turn to when you’re thirsty?

Diet Dr. Pepper. Or water.

4. Q is for QUICK: What is something you think you can generally do faster than most people?

Truthfully? Most things. I like getting to the end of a chore, or project. I type fast, I clean fast, I read fast, I even talk fast these days.

5. Q is for QUILL: Which bird do you think has the most beautiful feather colors?

I think feathers are pretty amazing to examine in place. Mallards are pretty, and cardinals are lovely in a completely different way. I like pigeons and crows, too. Parrots, of course, finches too. It would be easier to list birds I don't find attractive; sea gulls top that list.

6. Q is for QWERTY: At what age did you first learn to type effectively?

I took typing in high school. Before that, I had no need to type, because I grew up pre-computers.