My twelve-year-old self

(Found here)
Random Questions

Begun 12/29/15, evening
Are you unhappy at the moment?
→ I'm not unhappy, but I've had a sinus headache off and on for a couple of days and very sore bridge of my nose, like I got karate chopped there. It's a weird combination, and the soreness makes it hard to blow my nose...and wear my glasses. Worst part is that I have no idea what happened!!

When was the last time you read a full book?
→ I finished two this weekend, and will probably finish at least a couple more before the new year commences.

Who did you last hang out with?
→ I spent last Wednesday sitting in the hospital waiting room with Sparky and my sister Marie and brother-in-law Jan. Oy, stop me from turning into a crazy old person!!

When’s the last time you got in trouble with your parents?
→ My parents were experts at Good Cop/Bad Cop by the time I came around, so I was usually only "in trouble" with Mom; Dad was usually the Good Cop ("I'm very disappointed in you, Cat"), and anyway they're both dead.

How many children do you want?
→ The one I have is just perfect.

Are your nails painted?
→ It's December 28. No nail polish till spring now.

Do you need to take a shower?
→ I took one this morning. I'll take another one tomorrow morning.

Have you ever watched "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"?
→ Not on purpose!! I don't think I've even seen any of it, except in passing or in clips on other shows making fun of it.

Are you single?
→ Nope

Do you have any career ideas in mind?
→ I'm beginning to wonder if I should just retire. Or something. I like my job, but my boss and I are at loggerheads so much that it just makes life hell.

Do you have any gay friends?
→ Yes. And trans friends. And lesbian friends. And probably some other options. Really, not the main question I ask about people.....

Are you gay yourself?
→ Nope. Not that it's any of your business.

Are you doing anything this weekend?
→ I don't really know. Maybe? I work Saturday. Sunday is Packer day. We'll see.

How many brothers do you have?
→ Just one.

When was the last time you talked on the phone?
→ This evening when our neighbor was driving me home after getting me unstuck from the street in front of his house.

Do you like Mexican food?
→ Yes.

Did you go to work today?
→ I did. We closed an hour early, and I left an hour before that, just before sunset, so I could get home before dark. Which, yeah, didn't happen because sunset is at bloody 4:28 p.m. right now.

When was the last time you were disappointed?
→ My gut reaction is that this might be my current default setting. I'm disappointed that we never got the tree decorated this year. I'm disappointed at how much weight I've got to lose. I'm disappointed at people at work. ...

How old are you and how old do you act?
→ I'm just over 52. I try not to act my age, but I'm feeling really decrepit of late, so perhaps I'm acting my age after all.

Are you old enough to buy alcohol?
→ I've been old enough to drink since the day I started college, at least while I was AT college. Not at home though.

Are there any framed pictures of you in your house?
→ Yes, lots of family pics.

When was the last time you ate a banana?
→ Saturday?

Have you ever taken the eHarmony personality quiz?
→ No. I'm really NOT dating anymore so what's the point?

Have you told anyone you love them today?
→ Yes, actually several people.

Are you in any physical or emotional pain right now?
→ See above: headache, sore nose, some congestion.

Is the sun still up or is it dark?
→ This is a test. Remember what I said above regarding sunset? Well it's 9:43 p.m. now.

Have you seen all "The Hunger Games" films that have been released so far?
→ I only really liked the first book, and we only watched that movie when it hit cable. No interest in seeing the others.

What're your plans for the rest of the day?
→ Do this until I can't see straight, stagger up to bed, brush my teeth, take my night meds, flop into bed...and probably not sleep all night.

How many times have you been sick this year?
→ Surprisingly few. I missed prime contagion season in February when I was home after surgery. And I've just stayed away from sick people the rest of the year, I guess. I fear this sinus thing might develop into something, however.

Who did you text today and what did you talk about?
→ Just Sparky and Beast about random stuff.

What color's your toothbrush?
→ I think it's blue and white. Whatever it is, it's exactly the same as Beast's so mine has a big splodge of nail polish on it to differentiate.

Do you have a favorite author?
→ Not just one. Lots and lots and lots.

Is Christmas a joyful time for you or just plain stressful?
→ Both. This year was really strange.

What time do you plan to wake up tomorrow?
→ My alarm is set for 7:11 a.m.

Random Questions

What's your current relationship like with the person you lost your virginity to and do you wish it was different?
→ It's all good..

What's the most difficult thing you and your current or last significant other have gone through?
→ Marriage.

What's your best memory with each of your parents?
→ With Mom, it is those rare and wonderful moments when she let herself just have fun. With Dad, it's probably just being near him. I was truly a Daddy's Girl.

  # # # pause # # #
recommenced 1/1/16 evening
Random Questions

What's your favorite memory with one of your grandparents?
→ I don't really remember them. The one memory I have of Mom's mom is that she had long, really pretty white hair and very cold hands; she died when I was 6 (or 7?). The one vague memory I have of my Dad's dad is sitting on a bench in the side yard of his house; he died when I was three. The only real memories of Dad's mom were of her in the nursing home having lost most of her grasp of reality, and one 'normal' sense of her taking care of me when I was sick at her house; she died when I was 8 (or 9?).

If you met your twelve-year-old self right now, what do you think they'd think of you?
→ I'm know she'd think I was old! I also know she'd think it couldn't possibly be me because I'm so fat (I was a terminally skinny, rib-counting skinny, kid).

Would you date someone who's cheated in their previous relationships?
→ How would I know they'd cheated? I mean, a cheater isn't likely to tell me he cheated, right? Once I found out, I'd dump him like curdled milk, but I suspect it wouldn't be early on. My town is small, but it's also not likely to be the dating pool I'd be in should I ever start dating again.

At what age did you have your first significant other?
→  16. Because, see, I had a penpal when I was a bit younger--say, 13-14--who had a boyfriend and told me stories of the shenanigans of their relationship, and what happened when the split up and the ridiculous behavior that precipitated...I had no interest in dating if it led to the sorts of things she told me!

What was the turning point in your life?
→ There has been more than one. Choosing the college I went to was a big one. Marrying Beast was another. Deciding that maybe I wouldn't mind having (at least) one kid...taking the jobs I've taken, hanging out with the friends I've made, etc. There've probably been others that I'll never know about: not going to such and such a meeting, not riding with a drunk friend, etc.

What was the most drastic change you made to your appearance?
→ Getting old? Getting fat? Both? I dyed my hair for a very long time, and that's the only thing I can think of. Maybe piercing my ears? Nah, I'm going with old+fat.

Is there anything you hope your significant other or future significant other never finds out about you?
→ I'm certainly not admitting it here if I do!

When was the first time you said "I love you" to someone in a romantic context and really meant it?
→ Oh, jeez. I'm sure I said it to my high school boyfriend, but I know that even at the time I didn't mean it the way he did. I'm not sure I said it to anyone else, being insufferably scrupulous as a young person. I didn't grow up saying it, we didn't say it that often in my family, so it wasn't till college that I learned to throw it around with friends occasionally. So...probably, it would have to be Beast. There were other guys, but there wasn't any chance of "love" with them, just a lot of good times.

Is there anyone you still wonder about from your past?
→ I'd love to be able to find Ken to see what the hell he did with his life. Kirstie would be fun to catch up with. Gloria, omg, what the heck happened to her? Oy, train wreck in progress right there, even at 18! Ian, I reallyREALLY would love to catch up with him. He shares his name with a very wealthy software developer, so finding anything about "my" Ian ... hopeless.
I have reconnected on Facebook with a weird mixture of people from high school and college; I've stayed connected to a lot of college friends that I'm now Facebook friends with as well. It's often quite surreal to see their lives now and overlay them with the kid I knew.

What's your favorite song lyric?
→ Here are some I like:

Well, now go! Walk out the door!
Just turn around now,
‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore!
Weren’t you the one
Who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I’d crumble?
Did you think I’d lay down and die?
Oh no, not I! I will survive! – I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears – Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof

You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul – I Am Woman by Helen Reddy

And if I sprouted wings
I would not be amazed
'Cause faith is a mystery that rocks me
For days and days and days and days and – Righteous Love by Joan Osborne

Come on baby let's get out of this town
I got a full tank of gas with the top rolled down
If you won't take me with you
I'll go before night is through
And baby you can sleep while I drive – You Can Sleep While I Drive by Melissa Etheridge

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV? – Mercedes Benz by Janis Joplin

Undoubtedly if you ask me tomorrow, the list with be a little different.

During what period was your life the best?
→ I would say that generally the decade from 35 to 45 (give or take) was pretty good for me.

What was your most embarrassing sexual experience?
→ There's always the potential for weirdness, yes?

What physical characteristics are you most ashamed of or embarrassed by?
→ The only thing I'm ashamed of is my lack of impulse control and my general laziness.

Do you have any secret boards on Pinterest and if so, what are they and why are they secret?
→ I haven't logged in to Pinterest in probably 3 years. I get notifications every week about all the new stuff...yawn.

What're most of your Facebook posts about?
→ Me, of course. The occasional political thing, gun stats, and goofiness.

What was the last article of clothing you bought?
→ I bought a couple of new shirts on Christmas from Amazon.