100 Questions, 100 Answers

(Swiped from Addy)
started at 11:37

1. How are you, really?

Not bad. Yesterday's SCOTUS news and Obama's eulogy in South Carolina made for a high I'm still experiencing. #lovedefinitelywins The weather has cleared up, the sun is shining, the humidity isn't bad, and I'm feeling the best I've felt ALL week, gut-wise. So. Yeah. Pretty good day.

2. What are you thinking about?

I've got a show about hospital ERs on TV and the sheets are in the washing machine. Beast is driving home from this week's business trip, and Sparky's shopping for appropriate-for-work clothes. Life is full of things to do.

[interruption: Phone call from Sparky saying he nearly crashed, twice, into someone (same person), who then followed him to the parking lot where he pulled off and reamed him out for driving distracted--he had his phone out looking at maps trying to figure out where he was. He's a little emotionally wrecked.]

3. What’s your favourite colour?

Blue.

4. What’s your favourite food?

Anything related to carbs: sugar, pasta, bread, potatoes...yup, all good. Also, everything that has made my stomach cranky all week is on that list. So, I've been eating a lot of applesauce, yogurt, and (currently) jello.

5. What’s your favourite dessert?

Homemade fruit pie. I especially like berry pies, but cherry is fabulous too.

6. How old are you?

At the end of today, about 11 p.m., I'll have accomplished 18,856 days on earth.

7. What have you learned today?

That there is pain every day, but there is also joy to be found in this world. Never give up hope.

8. What was your favourite subject in school?

I really liked almost every subject, but I really enjoyed English and history the most overall. And cataloging class in grad school.

9. What do you do?

I do what needs doing, unless I can avoid it. ;-)
OK, I'm a librarian at a small- to medium-sized public library in the middle of the U.S. And I'm a mom. And I'm a wife. And I'm a sister (and sister-in-law). And I'm an aunt (and great-aunt). And I'm a Christian. And... yeah. I do a lot.

[interruption: Moved sheets to dryer]

10. What are some of your favourite books?

Here's a very random list of 15 from my "Favorites" list in GoodReads:

• Columbine (Cullen)
• The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
• Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (Moore)
• The Hiding Place (ten Boom)
• Outlander (Gabaldon)
• Jane Eyre (Bronte)
• The Book Of Ruth (Hamilton)
• Glass Soup (Carroll)
• Atticus (Hansen)
• The House of the Scorpion (Farmer)
• The Thirteenth Tale (Setterfield)
• Into the Forest (Hegland)
• The Yellow Wall-Paper (Gilman)
• The Road (McCarthy)
• The Chocolate War (Cormier)

11. What are some of your favourite movies?

I like "Heathers" a lot, in case I hadn't mentioned that before. The Matrix movies were good on multiple levels. Almost every Sandra Bullock movie I've seen has been very good. Also Melissa McCarthy's movies are good. "Ferris Bueller..." of course. I dunno, this is not an area I "collect" in.

12. What kind of music are you into?

Tuneful music. I have very eclectic taste. From my "Starred" list in Spotify, a random selection of 15 songs:

• Tall Boy (Har Mar Superstar)
• On Top of the World (Imagine Dragons)
• All About That Bass (Meghan Trainor)
• She Wolf (Shakira)
• Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
• Rollercoaster (Bleacher)
• Word of God Speak (Mercy Me)
• Piece of My Heart (Big Brother & the Holding Company)
• Good Life (OneRepublic)
• Rockferry (Duffy)
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Josh Groban)
• Walking on Broken Glass (Annie Lennox)
• My Own Little World (Matthew West)
• Silver City (Hey Champ) Catch My Disease (Ben Lee)

13. If you were going to write a book, what would you call it and what would it be about?

I'd love to write a mystery. I've read enough I could probably do it in my sleep, assuming that I'm not as lazy while sleeping as I am while awake. And I'll probably end up doing an autobio someday. Maybe. No titles though. I think that's last thing I would do is name them.

14. What’s one of the scariest things you’ve ever done?

Having a baby was terrifying. So many other scary things have followed. And there was the whole part that involved, for a few years, walking into my workplace every day.

15. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

My son's character. I suppose I should say my commitment to the things in which I believe too. I'm not likely to be swayed by people who nitpick, but I will engage in constructive debate any time.

[interruption: Sparky came home, and we talked for awhile. He's having a meltdown about job searching letdown, post-non-accident letdown, apartment search stress....and he has eaten an apple today. Idiot. He's making eggs and oatmeal now.]

16. Are you married?

Yup. Newsflash, eh?

17. How did you meet your spouse / girlfriend / boyfriend?

He used to come over to my dorm room freshman year because he and my roommate were in chemistry class together and he thought she was cute. (She was. Is.) She had less than zero interest in him and I felt sorry for him, and he was fun so he & I started getting to know each other. We didn't start actually dating till late freshman year, and then broke up sophomore year, and got back together our junior year.

18. Do you think it’s better to get married when you’re young or better to wait a while?

I would say it's better to get married in one's mid-20s while you're still flexible in dealing with change and while your dating pool is good-looking and not full of baggage (i.e. exes, children). But really, only do it when you find someone who makes you feel like you can achieve the impossible every single day.

19. Do you have any kids?

Yes. I have one freaked-out 22-year-old son.

20. Have you ever thought of adopting?

Yes. Not in the last 15 years, though, not seriously.

21. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A supermarket checker. Or teacher. Basically, I wanted to be an adult because adults make all the rules.

22. How did you get into your profession?

Like one sister and my brother, I worked as a shelver in my local public library when I was a teenager. I was a regular library user from pre-memory, so libraries have been 'safe' and comfortable places--despite the weirdos, perverts and wack-jobs I encountered there--my entire life. Then, with my irrational decision to double-major in history and communication and no interest at all in entering the business world or teaching, I went to grad school. In the meantime, that same sister got her master's and became a librarian, so it seemed like a decent career choice. There was a stretch when I thought I was done with the library field, but then I found a better job and haven't looked back since.

23. Would you recommend your profession to other people? Why / Why not?

I would, to the right sorts of people. My son would do well with library work, but the people aspect would kill him, at this point in his life at least. One of my college roommates is a children's librarian. My oldest niece is a librarian. Other people I know have gone into the field with encouragement from me. It's a great gig, when it's not absolutely awful. ;-)

24. What do you do for fun?

I blog. I read. I talk. I watch crime dramas and true medical shows on TV.

25. Do you like traveling?

I luuuurrrvvve traveling! There's just something about the change of scenery that makes me happy, though I don't love the hassle of long-distance travel these days. But I love seeing new things and meeting/watching different people.

26. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go?

I would love to go back to Scotland and Russia. I want to see the Valley of the Kings in Egypt someday. I would love to see some other Greek Islands

[interruption: Took sheets out of dryer and carried them upstairs.]

27. Who are some people you’d like to meet someday?

I'm not really into hero-worship, or personality-worship, but after yesterday, I'd pretty much die if I could meet President Obama (and Michelle) and thank him. I'd also like to meet my grandchildren. Assuming that ever happens.

28. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?

"Remember everyone you meet is carrying a heavy load."

29. What’s one of your favourite habits you have?

Blogging while watching TV. Reading in bed. Taking vitamins. Oh, I dunno. I can only think of negative habits, really.

30. What are some things that make you really happy?

Baby giggles. Puppies, kittens, basically baby anything. Kindness for no reason. Sunrises and sunsets. Meeting someone who 'gets' me.

31. What are some things that make you really sad?

Selfishness. Pain that doesn't seem to have a meaning or purpose, or end. Saying goodbye to someone I love. Mean people.

32. What are some things that scare you?

Mean people (sometimes). Lack of any sense of control--basically, forgetting that God's got it covered. Pain.

33. Do you like to plan things out in detail or be spontaneous?

I like to plan a great deal...and then be spontaneous. For instance, I make massive lists before we go on vacation: restaurants, places to stay, sites to see. Then we do whatever we feel like on the day, rather than planning everything down to the minute.

34. Are you a religious person?

Yup.

35. If you could go back in history, who would you like to meet?

Laura Ingalls and her family. My grandparents. Mary Magdalene.

36. Would you rather live in the country or in the city?

Where I live is optimal: very country-ish (farms, goats, cows, horses, forests within 1.5 miles of my home), but also near enough to a big-ass city that I can get there in a couple of hours.

37. What was your life like growing up?

I had a pretty awesome childhood. No, it wasn't perfect, but my parents did all right by me and any trauma I experienced was ameliorated by their love and the safety and comfort of extended family.

38. What were you like in high school?

Shy, bookish, self-absorbed, smart, silly.

39. Do you have any brothers or sisters? How many?

There were 5 kids in my family born twenty years apart from mid-1940s till mid-1960s. I was the last, with a gap of ten years between me and my only brother. My oldest sister and brother and I are all that's left. One sister died of cancer over 20 years ago (she'd be 68 now), and one of PD/MSA about 5 years ago at age 60.

40. What’s your favourite part about today so far?

The weather. Being able to meme guilt-free. The fact that I don't feel sick.
Well, not too sick.

41. Who in your life has influenced you the most? How did they do it?

Beast has been such a constant positive influence in my life over the past 30 years. His staunch support and honesty has made me a better person.

42. What’s your favourite joke?

Life. Life is pretty funny sometimes.

[interruption: Beast is HOME, finally! And TV is off--I'm 90 minutes behind on the show I've been watching.]

43. Have you ever tried sushi? (Did you like it?)

Not that I'm aware of, and I hope I never have to.

44. Do you like spicy food?

Some. I like Mexican and Tex-Mex and some Indian food. It doesn't agree with me much anymore.

45. How do you like your steak cooked?

Medium rare. A little crispy on the outside is good, a little pink on the inside is good.

46. Do you have a favourite number? Any particular reason why you like that number?

I like 3 for many reasons, some biblical, some rational, some personal. I've also always had a thing about 16 which I've never understood but ....

47. If you were a type of animal, what would you be and why?

I would love to be a wolf.

48. What’s one of the strangest things you’ve ever done?

I do strange things a LOT. In fact, you might say I consider it a day poorly spent if I don't embarrass myself or someone else daily.

49. What kind of vacations do you like?

Yes. Please. I like vacations. A change of pace. The more the merrier!

[interruption: Sparky leaves for work.]

50. What are some of your major goals in life?

Survive. Thrive. Do my work on earth. Not screw up too badly.

51. What are some of your smaller goals in life?

Over time, I really need to lose some weight. I suspect I have this week simply because eating makes me feel icky.

52. What do you like least about yourself?

My laziness and my stubbornness.

53. What embarrasses you?

I work hard to embarrass myself so that I don't get so worked up when people do it to me. But it's embarrassing to trip, oh so bad. Just mortifying. Especially when it leads to falling. I always figure if I'm worried about the embarrassment factor I can't really be too badly injured.

54. If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

It would be interesting to do a ride-along with either the local police or EMTs. I wouldn't mind being a teacher for a day either.

55. What’s your earliest memory?

Sitting on the sofa with my mom's address book pretending to write in it. I was a strange little person.

56. What’s the best decision you ever made?

Marrying Beast. Which, I suppose, I can trace back further to choosing to go to the college I picked.

57. Who’s your best / closest friend?

Beast. Jen. Amy. Odd that they are all three-letter-named people (IRL).

58. What do you think people think of you?

I have no idea. I think they think I'm smart, sarcastic, pushy, silly, foul-mouthed, impatient, and fat. Some of those things aren't too far from the truth. ;-)

59. What were your grades like in school?

Straight As (or Os and Ss, in grade school--it was a progressive early-70s place with grades that ranged from Outstanding through Satisfactory down to Needs Work) all the way through. My dad's "joke" one time in high school was when my report card came in the mail, asking how come I was doing so poorly in gym class (A-/B+). I graduated college magna cum laude.

60. If you could learn one random skill, what would you learn?

I already have a lot of random skills. The most random thing I can think of right now that would be useful is being able to diagnose and treat sick maple trees.

61. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert with gregarious tendencies.

62. Have you ever taken a personality test? (How did the results turn out?)

Oh shit yeah. Isn't that one of the triad of things that supports the internet: cat videos, trolls, personality tests? It turns out I have one.

63. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How they carry themselves, the way they walk. Confidently, closed-down, prissy, painfully....

64. Do you think people can control their own destiny?

To a certain point, and then not so much. I have no control, really, over what diseases I get, or other people's driving, but I can control how I react to them. And ultimately, it's really all up to God anyway.

65. Do you think all people are equally valuable, or do you think some people in certain situations might be more valuable than others?

That is two totally different questions! Yes, we all matter equally, each of us being a universe among the cosmos around us. But in some situations some people are more valuable: the obvious scenario is when I need open-heart surgery, it's more valuable for me to have a heart surgeon there than any random goob passing by the hospital on the way to the CVS.

66. Do you think people are basically bad or basically good?

Indeed they are both basically good and basically bad. I think good people try to walk on that ledge leaning the good way as much as humanly possible, but it's a very fine line.

67. Do you think morals are universal or relative to the beliefs, traditions, and practices of individuals or groups?

I think kindness is universal. I think morals are relative. I think, and I think based on yesterday's events I realize I'm not alone, that the most important thing when it comes to social behavior is doing right for others first. LOVE . FIRST . Then and only then, follow the rules.

68. Do you think God exists?

I'm pretty sure God exists, yes.

69. Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?

Yes. Don't we see it around us every day? If not, why don't you?

70. Do you vote? Why / Why not? If you do vote, how do you usually vote?

I do. I vote as often as possible. It is my JOB as a citizen to vote! I vote Dem, usually, as much as I can around here, which isn't very much TBH, but not party line. In this state during primaries you have to "pick a ballot"--Dem, Rep or Ind. Pisses me off. Sometimes the best person isn't "my party's" person.

71. Do you think gay people choose to be gay? Do you think straight people choose to be straight?

Nope. I never sat down and decided, "Let's see: are boys cuter than girls?" In fact, if I had been able to make that choice as a youngster, I'm not sure I would have picked boys--boys were dirty, smell, horrid creatures as far as I was concerned! Nope, that just came with the hazel eyes and brown hair I was born with.

72. Is torture ever a good option? If no, why not? If yes, when?

No, and here's why: it destroys the soul of the torturer. Aside from the obviously horrifying and brutal results of torture for those on the receiving end, the person who turns to torture allows herself to become Evil Personified, and that can't help but do massive damage to her heart, soul, and future peace of mind. I say this as someone who has participated in bullying and it's something I can never fix, never undo, never unfeel. It is a part of myself that disgusts me, that I hate.

73. Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?

I don't know. I would like to think I'd sacrifice myself if it meant saving others, but I'm not sure I could pull the trigger. Not anymore. Maybe when I was younger.

74. What’s the most money you’ve ever given away?

To charity? Or are we just talking about the biggest check I've ever written? We donate regularly to church in decent-sized chunks. And we've bought things for other people. When we went to Gulfport after Katrina, we dropped big credit card bombs in Lowe's several times that week.
The latter was when I was trying to figure out how to do the down payment on one of our houses; how to write (e.g.) $10,988.67 on the _________/100 line of the check!?

75. What’s the biggest personal change you’ve ever made?

Becoming a mom changed me in ways that are incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't been a parent. I don't say that lightly--I have a lot of child-free friends that I think are wonderful people. But parenthood ... wow. Sharp 180 turn in so many areas of my life.

76. What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?

For many years, while I never fully regretted it I did think leaving Colorado for college was pretty stupid. I've never made it back there to live, and my soul aches for the mountains sometimes.

77. What do you think would be one of the best steps we could take toward ending poverty around the world?

Well, if we could find the gene that causes greed and the one that causes sociopathy, that would be a first step. Barring that, I'm with Jesus: the poor will be with us always. but that doesn't excuse us from doing something to help them!

78. What do you think we could do to best improve the education system?

In this country, a large step forward would be taken if we could convince everyone that education is important, and good. So many people here seem to take pride in being ignorant (and I mean that in the non-pejorative sense); they'd rather be dumb than work at learning how to think. Then, if we yknow FUNDED schools and teachers, that would be so excellent.

79. In general, what do you think about art?

I think without art, society dies. Period. If there is no creativity, there is no reason to live.

80. What are some of your favorite websites?

What I have open right now GoodReads, Random.org, Inoreader, Blogger (obviously), Gmail, Facebook, and the Jackson & Perkins website. At work, many of the same are in use, plus Connexion.oclc.org, Worldcat.org, my local library's consortial catalog, Amazon, ImDB, half a dozen cataloging cheat sites, Baker & Taylor, Midwest Tape....and then there are the flight tracking sites for when Beast is flying across country ....and ...and ...and....

81. What’s the biggest turnoff in a man/woman?

General douchebaggery. Stupidity, intentional ignorance, selfishness. Shall I continue?

82. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?

"It'll be ok." I really try not to say that anymore unless I mean it.

[interruption: ...to save my eyeballs]

83. What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Most people I know IRL probably don't know I have a blog, or where to find it. Most people online don't know where to find me IRL. There are fewer than 10 people--two family members and a few good friends--who know both.

84. What’s something you wish everyone knew about you?

That I'm far less confident than I act.

85. What are some of the first things you do in the morning?

I'm going to stipulated that I've wakened up. So, put on the glasses, turn off the alarm (if applicable), get up and go to the bathroom, pick out clothes, wash face/shower....y'know it's really all the usual stuff.

86. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?

Life. Also the best thing. I'd call it about even.

87. Do you cry easily?

Helz yeah. I cry, apparently, in order to breathe, or so it seems lately. Lots of weepiness this week, for good AND bad reasons.

88. How do you feel about public speaking?

I don't mind if I know what I'm talking about. It doesn't bother me any more than organizing a project does.

89. Do you like to talk on the phone?

No. I really don't.

90. How many emails do you get each week, roughly?

At work, I get, conservatively, 40 a day counting listserv emails, junk, and actual stuff I need to deal with. In my personal account(s), there's usually at least 30, but 2/3 of those are coupons/shopping stuff that go directly into their folder without landing in the inbox, and maybe another 2-3/day that are weird for some reason besides junk/spam. Maybe 2-3 personal emails a day at most.

91. If someone were to make a movie about your life, who would you hope would play you?

Sandra Bullock would be awesome.

92. What’s one of your favourite questions to ask new friends or to get a conversation going?

I tend to be a reactor, not an instigator.

93. Would you ever sky dive or bungee jump?

Sure. Well, maybe not so much "sure" as it was a decade ago, but I wouldn't refuse out of hand.

94. Have you ever been in a fist fight?

I've been in the girl equivalent of a fist fight, which involved slapping and pulled-out hair. Only once. That was sufficient to carry me through the rest of my life. And yes, it was with a friend, with whom I remained friends afterwards. Nothing like hitting the school bathroom with the person you were just hitting to wash off the debris.

95. What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled?

I'm not that creative, nor do I like long term pranks. They seem a little (a lot) passive-aggressive. I'm also not great with those kinds of secrets. And my brother pranked me a lot as a kid, which kind of killed the joy.

96. What did you do on your 16th birthday?

My parents drove me and a few friends to see Time After Time. Afterwards, they picked us up and drove us back to my house where we had cake and ice cream in the dining room (parents in the living room) and talked and laughed. I have no idea if there were presents; that wasn't the point.

[interruption: Watched a YouTube video Sparky sent me earlier, with Beast.]

97. What do you think is one of the most undervalued professions right now?

Teaching. At every level. And good politicians, as in people who are good at their jobs and trying to to the right thing.

98. How would you explain your basic life philosophy?

Do the best you can with God has given you, and try to make life better for the people around you.

99. Would you rather be hated or forgotten?

I don't really care about being hated, really--though it's certainly not pleasant--but I'd hate for those close to me to forget me too soon.

100. If you knew you would die tomorrow, would you feel cheated today?

Yes! Yes I would. I have too much to do; I can't die tomorrow! Shit...

done 4:03