LONG survey

Found here (that's part 1; I'm doing it all at once)

1. Who is your hero?

I have loads of heroes, mostly those who continue to get up and carry on with life in the face of tremendous adversity. There are people in this would who are carrying loads that would kill me to think about in my own life.

2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Ouray

3. What is your biggest fear?

Those close to me dying.

4. What is your favorite family vacation?

We've had good ones all over the place over the years: Yorkshire, Moosehead, Vegas, Eagleridge, Greece....

5. What would you change about yourself if you could?

I'd be less worried about embarrassing myself. It's getting easier though.

6. What really makes you angry?

Being lied to.

7. What motivates you to work hard?

I like to do things right, and I like to do things that are complicated but finishable. I do NOT like long-term stuff--if I can't get it done in a day, I'm really lousy at getting it done with.

8. What is your favorite thing about your career?

Being able to help people and getting to answer questions. I'm naturally a very nosy person. I also like the picky detail stuff that's involved in cataloging a lot.

9. What is your biggest complaint about your job?

Never having enough time (or budget) to do things we want to do right. And the people make me nuts sometimes. Not just patrons.

10. What is your proudest accomplishment?

Sparky. And being true to myself through all the shit....to the extent that I have been.

11. What is your child’s proudest accomplishment?

I have no idea. Should probably ask him, eh? I hope that passing P-Chem and walking in graduation ceremonies next month at least make the short-list though.

12. What is your favorite book to read?

These Happy Golden Years. Maybe I should reread it for the billionth time. Really, the honest answer is "the current book."

13. What makes you laugh the most?

Clever humor. A well-timed burn on someone who deserves it. And good puns delivered perfectly.

14. What was the last movie you went to? What did you think?

Hmmm, Star Trek? I think? It was good.

15. What did you want to be when you were small?

Bigger. No, seriously.

16. What does your child want to be when he/she grows up?

He's 22+ so I'm not sure this question applies any longer. Now I'm sad... :'(

17. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

Drive to a cabin alone in the mountains, sit in the sun, read a good book, nap, walk.... SLEEP!

18. What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?

I love watching football. And I'll play almost any game set in front of me!

19. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?

Drive. If I knew how to properly ride a horse, that might make it to the top of the list.

20. What would you sing at Karaoke night?

I probably wouldn't.

21. What two radio stations do you listen to in the car the most?

I don't listen to the radio in the car unless I've run out of audiobook. Then it's something on XM.

22. Which would you rather do: wash dishes, mow the lawn, clean the bathroom, or vacuum the house?

In this order: Wash dishes, clean the bathroom, vacuum, mow. I don't know how to start the mower, or that might be slightly higher. The later, two are actually pretty much the same thing, and I'm not fond of the concept. I do like doing dishes. Bathrooms don't bother me either.

23. If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?

I would absolutely LOVE to have someone shop for and prep all my meals! I already have someone come clean my house every few weeks, but I'd cancel that in a heartbeat if it meant hiring someone to cook.

24. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pasta.

25. Who is your favorite author?

Laura Ingalls Wilder. And of course Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, J.A. Jance, John Steinbeck, Charles Dickens, Malcolm Gladwell, Jasper Fforde....

26. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?

I suppose "Mom" doesn't count? Or all my sisters' and brother's names wadded together? I don't think I really have. Some jokey riffs on my actual name [first name] Lou and [food name] [last name].

27. Do you like or dislike surprises? Why or why not?

I don't mind them, assuming they're GOOD ones.

28. In the evening, would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read?

Read. Or take a bath and go to bed early.

29. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why?

Yes please. I'm not fussy. Hawaii in winter, Alaska in summer.

30. Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? And why?

The latter. I would be so bored without work to do.

31. Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island?

Amy. She knows that sometimes people just want to be on opposite sides of the island from each other but that doesn't mean they don't like each other anymore.

32. If money was no object, what would you do all day?

W O R K.

33. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?

I'd visit the years when my parents and grandparents were in their primes and get to know them.

34. How would your friends describe you?

Again, it would perhaps be better to ask them this question, but I hope it's because I'm kind, smart and helpful.

35. What are your hobbies?

Blogging, Facebooking, reading, games, sleeping....

36. What is the best gift you have been given?

A second chance.

37. What is the worst gift you have received?

A lot of really awful books.

38. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

B O O K S.

39. List two pet peeves.

People being mean to each other. People who go lower than the speed limit.

40. Where do you see yourself in five years?

If I knew that, my life would be so much easier to manage right now. I really don't know. I'd like to still be in this house, and still married. Those are very much up for debate right now.

41. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Probably about 3 dozen.

42. If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have?

Invisibility and stealth.

43. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Have we not covered this at least once before? In this meme? I'd bank most of it, and then donate it post-tax.

44. What form of public transportation do you prefer? (air, boat, train, bus, car, etc.)

I have a little love affair with taxis, probably because I don't have to use them all that often. I also like trains a lot. Used to like planes, but it's a huge hassle and unpleasant to fly nowadays. And boats--not so much fun.

45. What’s your favorite zoo animal?

Giraffes. Wolves. Penguins.

46. If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?

I'd smack that apple right out of Eve's hand!

47. If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

My grandparents.

48. How many pillows do you sleep with?

I sleep with one, but usually read with an extra under my head. There are four total on the bed Beast and I sleep in.

49. What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep (and why)?

Probably 40 hours or so during Trivia Weekend in college. And some long nights with Sparky when he was little. It's taught me to sleep when I can.

50. What’s the tallest building you’ve been to the top in?

I've been to the two in the center of the U.S.

51. Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?

I don't think they are mutually exclusive.

52. How often do you buy clothes?

I just bought socks and a T-shirt on Amazon this last week. Real clothes? Probably been a year.

53. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

If so, they kept it very secret, even from me.

54. What’s your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving.

55. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

Getting married right out of college? I don't know; nothing felt that daring, just scary, when I was younger. Maybe it was going to college 1000 from hoe without knowing anyone else.

56. What was the last thing you recorded on TV?

CSI? Or Deadliest Catch? I"m not sure.

57. What was the last book you read?

The last one I was reading today was Trespasser by Paul Doiron

58. What’s your favorite type of foreign food?

I like Indian, though it isn't easy to find around here.

59. Are you a clean or messy person?

Clean but untidy.

60. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

Julia Roberts. Winona Ryder. Melissa McCarthy.

61. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

I try to give myself an hour, but in a pinch I can be up and out in 15 minutes flat, 8 if I don't need to shower.

62. What kitchen appliance do you use every day?

Fridge.

63. What’s your favorite fast food chain?

Taco Bell.

64. What’s your favorite family recipe?

Killer mac n cheese. I could tell you the whole thing, but then I'd have to kill you all.

65. Do you love or hate rollercoasters?

I don't mind them, but I don't love the spinning rides.

66. What’s your favorite family tradition?

Fondue on New Year's Eve.

67. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Lots of hours of jump rope and jacks.

68. What’s your favorite movie?

"Heathers"

69. How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real?

Santa's not real?? Fuck. [I was about 6 when I figured it out, but I milked it another couple of years.]

70. Is your glass half full or half empty?

The glass next to me on the end-table is empty. Generally I'm a half-full type though.

71. What’s the craziest thing you've done in the name of love?

Being a parent make you liable to do some really nutty things in defense of your child.

72. What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?

Satellite phone, sunscreen, notebook with pen.

73. What was your favorite subject in school?

I liked them all! Such a nerd.

74. What’s the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?

There have been some strange foreign foods I didn't recognize, nor ask for details. The yuckiest, by far, was the (very good, apparently) caviar in Russia. Horrible.

75. Do you collect anything?

S&Ps and dust.

76. Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?

Oversize shirts for girls.

77. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

More introvert than not, but I'm a great actress.

78. Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?

Smell.

79. Have you ever had a surprise party? (that was an actual surprise)

Yes, both were baby showers. And nothing since then.

80. Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous?

Not that I'm aware of, unless they were hanged for stealing horses.

81. What do you do to keep fit?

I don't keep fit.

82. Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken?

"Whoever talks louder wins."

83. If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce?

Meanness will be prosecuted.

84. Who was your favorite teacher in school and why?

There were damned few I didn't like.

85. What three things do you think of the most each day?

"What's Beast up to?" "How soon can I get some sleep?" "Why is the computer running so slow?"

86. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

"Contents under pressure."

87. What song would you say best sums you up?

"Amazing Grace"

88. What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?

Neil Gaiman would be fun to talk to. Or John Green.

89. Who was your first crush?

Jim Phillips.

90. What’s the most interesting thing you can see out of your office or kitchen window?

"Interesting?" I live in suburbia--I can see yards. Kids, on nice days. A couple of swingsets, a pool, lots of grass, some trees....

91. On a scale of 1-10 how funny would you say you are?

8

92. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Plugging away....

93. What was your first job?

Answering the phone at home for my dad. Our home phone was his business line.

94. If you could join any past or current music group which would you want to join?

Think I'd fit in among the rest of the Jacksons? OK, how about The Partridge Family?

95. How many languages do you speak?

One well, one badly, and a couple more very very poorly. I can read about 6 non-English languages at various levels of skill.

96. What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

Have we SERIOUSLY NOT COVERED THIS!?

97. Who is the most intelligent person you know?

Hmmm. I know a lot of smart people. I don't really rank friends by their smarts, though.

98. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be?

Sloth.

99. What is one thing you will never do again?

Be pregnant.

100. Who knows you the best?

Beast.