Plaid Polka-Dots Stripes Stars

(Found here)
(started 6:45 p.m. 1/14/21)

What is a smell that you absolutely cannot stand? Liver being cooked near me

When is the last time you felt adrenaline moving through your veins? I can't remember. I guess Tuesday a little, but only because I'm permanently frustrated about everything in the world.

When is the last time you bought new shoes? What kind of shoes are they? I bought two pairs of short boots on my birthday in November. 

Do you know anybody who snorts when they laugh? Who? Me, when I'm VERY amused. I think I know a couple of others. I think it's kind of hilarious.

Have you ever been hit on by a stranger? Flattering or creepy? I work in a public sector, so yeah this happens on the reg, even still at my gray-haired age.

Do you remember the first Rated R movie you ever saw? What was it? I was going to say "Saturday Night Fever" but then I realized I saw the PG version in the theater (I'm that old). So I honestly have no idea.

What is something good that happened to you last week? Something bad?  Good: I made some good progress on projects at work for a change. Bad: every goddamn other thing in the country!!

Are you afraid of any animals? I have a legitimate fear of bears, but I love them. Basically, I have a healthy fear of any animal that is likely to kill and eat me.

Do you put your elbows on the table when you eat? Do you think it’s rude? I do, when I rarely eat at a table these days. I don't honestly give two shits about rudeness at this point.

Have you ever gotten into a fight with somebody over the internet? So, basically, have I been on the internet for more than 30 minutes? Yes.

Do you think that you listen to your head or your heart more? I try to listen to my head, but my heart gets in the way every time. I'm such a sap.

If your mom told you she was pregnant today would you freak out? If my mom told me ANYthing today, I'd check myself into a mental hospital. Also, she would be 99 years old if she were speaking to me, so do the math.

You trust all of your friends completely, true or false? I trust no one. Not after this week. Betrayals and fear and grief everywhere.

How many buttons are on the clothes you’re wearing right now? Weirdly, none. I mean, not THAT weird, but this shirt has a pattern on it so buttons on a pullover with a pattern seem superfluous.

If you could re-paint your bedroom, what color would you choose? My bedroom is blue with one sandy/tan wall. I wouldn't change it for less than $5 million.

What has been the best night of your life so far? Why? I can't remember that far back.

Did you learn to read before, during, or after kindergarten? Before.

Has anybody ever thrown you a surprise party?  Yes.

Would you ever even think about taking part in a wet t-shirt contest? Hah! Even when I was young and skinny, I wouldn't have been invited to do so. Nor would I want to. Pretty sure you have to be drunk or a masochist to do so.

What is the last thing you lost? My self-respect.

Have you ever pretended to be sick to get out of something? Yes. There's a voice in my head telling me that's what I'm doing now, but I'm doing it anyway.

Who is somebody you know who is spoiled rotten? People who think I am the scariest person on the planet.

Would you rather visit Poland or Portugal? Portugal. Seems warmer.

Have you ever seen somebody give birth? Besides me? Yes.

You have 10 minutes to make dinner for two people, what do you make?   Whaddaya got in the fridge/pantry? I have to know what I've got to work with. Most likely, soup and sarny. 

Have you ever borrowed something and never gave it back? What was it? I "liberated" a screwdriver set from my parents when I left for college. Still have it. 😀

What is one thing you wish you understood about the opposite sex?  I hate to be flippant but...how it feels to pee standing up? If I have other questions, I just ask one of the many male friends I am somehow fortunate enough to have.

Is you hair color the same as it was when you were a baby? Ironically, it's not real far away. I had very little hair, and it was very pale. Now it's very close to white.

Have you ever been in trouble for being too loud? That is the gist of the trouble I'm in right now.

Honestly, have you ever given somebody a sucky gift? Surely I have. No one has flat out said so.

***

Salt & vinegar, barbecue, sour cream & onion, or cheddar? Sour cream. Or cheddar, a recent discovery.

Bow ties on guys, dorky or adorable? Depends a lot on the guy. 

What are your thoughts on mini-skirts or mini-dresses? I have only ever had one in my life, which was a HEEEYUGGGE bone of contention between me and my mom for my entire childhood.

Have you ever died in one of your dreams? I...don't think so?

Name three things you hate having to buy for yourself: Why? Clothes (I'm fat and nothing fits right), services (plumbers, carpenters, etc.--because if I weren't lazy I would figure it out and do it myself), medication (I take too damn many pills!).

Which is tastier: fruity gum or minty gum? I chew peppermint every night.

Quick! The first professional sports player you can think of: Clay Matthews.

Be honest, have you ever bullied anybody? Who was it? I feel like I was more the bullied than the bullier as a child. I feel now like it's possible I've become an adult bully, or at least that's the impression I've gotten at work of late.

What colors look best with navy blue in your opinion? More blue, white, yellow, bright red.

What is the cutest Halloween costume for a baby to wear?  Anything parents can get the baby to wear.

Is it a turn-off if somebody’s teeth are stained yellow? I'm interested to hear the answer to this, being someone whose teeth are permanently "stained" yellow because of things beyond my control. My dentist refuses to bleach them because of the damage it'll do to them.

Which of your friends is the tallest? Which of them is the shortest? I honestly haven't the foggiest idea. I feel like most people are more-or-less the same height as me.

Plaid, polka-dots, stripes, or stars: pick three. Do I have to wear them all at a time?? Gross. I don't really care for polka-dots; I think I may have had a few too many as a kid.

Do you know any quotes from Forrest Gump? "Run, Forrest, run!"

Do you believe in demonic possession? How about ghosts? Angels? I don't believe in them the way they are superstitiously portrayed in pop culture. I think there are plenty of things science hasn't figured out, and I know I feel the presence of loved ones at times.

When is the last time you ate so much you felt sick afterwards? Anytime I eat, I end up feeling like I should never do it again.

Would you rather judge a singing or dancing competition? Why? I'm more able to judge singing properly, knowing nothing about dance.

What appliance in your kitchen do you use the most often? The fridge.

What cabinet or closet in your house do you rarely open? The ones behind the bedrooms, under the eaves.

What was the mascot at your elementary school? Mustangs, which I had to go look up because I had completely forgotten.

What is the most expensive restaurant you’ve ever been to? Was it good? It was a steak place and the bill was nearly $300 for 4 of us 20 years ago. Yes, it was delicious.

Have you ever fallen down in public? Did anybody see you? More and more often. Last spring was the most recent public display.

Do you scream when you go on rollercoasters? Do you close your eyes? I haven't been on one since Sparky was a kid--so 20 years--and I always took my glasses off so they wouldn't fly off in the middle and get lost, so I was never that scared: I couldn't see a dang thing.

Do you think home-made cards are better than store bought ones? Anytime someone remembers and cares enough to send a card, I'm not going to complain.

What is one romantic movie that you enjoy enough to watch more than once? I've been hankering to watch "You've Got Mail" again because it's so dated (pun intended).

Name three countries you want to visit: Why those three?  Egypt, Spain, Kenya.

***

When was the last time you went to the dentist? Did you have any work done? I saw the dentist last month to make sure I hadn't cracked a tooth. I hadn't. Just pain from clenching them.

Open any social media site. Who's the first person on your feed? Unfortunately, it's from someone at work that I'm ticked at to someone else at work to told me to get my shit together or gtfo today. So, yeah, that helped my mood a lot.

What's the closest store to your house? We call it The Mini-Mart; it's a satellite of a small grocery store in another part of my very small village.

How much sleep per night do you usually get? Plenty, and yet I almost always need more.

Were you born in the state you now live in? No, for my sins.

What's your favorite type of cake? White or yellow plain cake with a lot of frosting.

Do you like to go out to nightclubs? What would you usually wear? I would rather have major dental work done than go to a nightclub ever again.

Have you ever been hit in the face? Yes. Yes I have. 

Do you wear glasses? Yes, except for when they get broken from being hit in the face.

What do you think of the Jonas Brothers? I vaguely know who they are, as a group of guys, but couldn't definitively name any one of them on sight.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I have ALWAYS been a pie-eyed optimist...until the last four years, which have turned me into a bitter old crone.

Who was the last person you argued or disagreed with? Hah. Last person I argued with was a coworker on Tuesday. I disagree with lots of stuff over the course of any given day. Most of it just sloughs off and I forget immediately.

Do you know how to cook? What's your favorite thing to cook? I don't mind the cooking; it's the shopping that sucks. And it sucks to not have anyone to cook FOR.

Have you ever been on a plane for more than 10 hours? Not quite. Two flights + one completely unmemorable layover = 14 hours. Plus another 2 hours in passport control and then another 2 hours organizing luggage, getting on a coach, getting to the hotel, checking in, learning how to "properly use" a Russian hotel (babushkas of the world...). And that was AFTER a harrowing 2-hour drive in a blizzard to get to the U.S. airport and several flight delays. I've never done this calculation, but by these numbers I was awake (and terrified) for over 30 hours that day. I'm sure I didn't sleep the night before we left either.

What was the last thing you put in the trash? Damp Kleenex.

Are you sitting down right now? Yup.

Have you ever worked night shifts? As in overnight, 10 pm to 6 a.m.? Not exactly, certainly not for pay, but I have worked closing shifts--till 9 pm--at least one day a week for most of my life.

How do you usually style your hair? Brush and a pony.

Do you like to people-watch? I definitely watch people like a hawk these days.

Is your fridge full or empty at the moment? Far too full.

What shoes do you wear to work? Comfortable shoes that aren't hideous.

(Faded completely into blindness 8:55 p.m.)
(back at it 10/15/21 10:17 a.m.)

When was the last time you mopped a floor? Fully? It's the one thing that I hate doing, so I hire someone. Since I live alone, twice a month is plenty for a full mop. I clean up spills as they happen.

What's your favorite type of juice? Cranberry. Or grapefruit, which I can't have anymore because of meds.

What color looks best on you? Honestly, I've no idea. Blue works, and I try to stay away from pinky-reds because my skin is very pinky-red.

Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? Medicare--which I'm not on--REALLY wants me to have a cancer screening. I've had about 20 calls in the past month about it.

Would you want a Bachelor/Bachelorette party before you get married? I'm not getting married again, and anyway, no.

Do you have a skincare routine? What does it involve? I wash my face in the morning with Olay. If I'm sensing a breakout anywhere, I'll add some Clearasil to the area. At night, the most I do is wipe off my face with witch hazel and rinse with water. I don't wear makeup. And if I plan to be outside more than 10-15 at a time over the course of the day, I'll grab some face sunscreen to have on hand.

Have you ever had a professional massage?  Yup. Need to call for another one.

What was the last thing you baked in an oven? Something while Sparky was home for Xmas. Technically, he made it, not me.

How much cash do you have on your person right now? I'm sitting in my living room in my pajamas and socks. I barely have my person on my person. I probably have about $300 in cash for shoveling and cleaning payments in the house and maybe another $50 in my wallet.

Where do you like to shop for groceries? Instacart

Who do you put down as an emergency contact and why? My son because my husband would literally be the most unhelpful person I know to use.

What did you have for breakfast today? Mini-bagels with pepper jack and havarti cheese, some peanuts, and a Xanax. First Xanax ever.

Do any household chores need to be done right now? Always.

Have you ever played on a poker machine? I love video poker at the bar in Vegas. Great way to waste a ton of time AND money.

What type of gas do you put in your car, if you have one? Whatever's nearby when I'm low, and always the cheap stuff. 

When was the last time you smoked a cigarette, if ever? Never have. At least, none of my own--I used to breath in a LOT of smoky air, but that was in the Olden Days.

Do you know how to roast a turkey? I do, and I do it really well if I may say so.

How do you feel right now? Not great. And cold.

What do you like to put on your sandwiches? Cheese. And potato chips. And butter.

Is there a train station close to where you live? I drive past it on my way to work every day. And on the way home.

Do you check the mail every day? Usually, yes. Right now it's hard to get to in the car (it's on the street) and I will be needing to fix it soon as it was damaged last month.

What was your first crush's name? Maybe David Cassidy? More likely his brother Shawn, which quickly swapped to Andy Gibb.

Can your name be shortened to become a nickname? If you change the last letter it becomes kind of nicknamey; people do it all the time. I HATE IT.

What was the last bill you paid? Service charge on Beast's guardianship paperwork on Wednesday. I have a stack of bills here that I absolutely HAVE to deal with today. Or tomorrow. Been saying that all week.

***

1. Think back to the last time (or a time) when you were in a fight with someone and just blurted out exactly what was on your mind. Did you somewhat regret saying what you said? What happened? I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut and I invariably regret everything. I'll let you know what happens when I get back to work next week and find out if I still have a job.

2. Towards the end of your last relationship, how did you know it was over? How did you and your significant other change towards each other? (ex. not calling each other babe, baby, etc.) Good heavens. I've been married 34.5 years. I can't even go back that far today.

3. Have you ever had a significant other NOT believe you when you said “i love you” to them? Why was that? How did you react? I think sometimes my actions may not say I love you when I said it. It probably led to many arguments. There was probably shouting. ...sigh

4. When was the last time you had a hard time telling someone exactly how you felt? Did they understand where you were coming from? If I'm getting into the deep feels, I always end up crying and then I can't talk properly and everything goes pear-shaped.

5. Do opposites really attract? Have you ever experienced this? Explain: Sometimes. They can often both repel and attract, which is confusing and can feel awfully exciting before you realize how exhausting it is.

6. Has anyone close to you ever drifted away because they started hanging out with a new crowd? Did you try talking to them about it? What eventually happened? Every freaking day.

7. Have you ever found yourself heading on the wrong path? What happened? I'm there now. Wondering what to do, whether it's worth it to fight my way back to a safe path.

8. When did you last not feel accepted? Why did you feel that way? At work. Now. Because my own fucking giant mouthy mouth.

9. When did you last turn to drinking to ‘escape’ from your problems? What caused you to do that? I think I had a drink last weekend, but I'm not sure it was to escape. I'm not drinking this weekend because the option of never stopping is looking attractive.

10. Has anyone had to take your drink from you because you drank too much? How did you react? No, but my college roommate held my glasses while I threw up 15 glasses of champagne that I threw down in an hour once. I still can't even smell cheap champagne without feeling sick. And she's still my friend. How?!?!?

11. What’s your opinion on the world relying on technology too much and not paying enough attention to natural resources? I'm not equipped, today, to answer this. If I didn't have technology, I'd be done.

12. Have you ever felt like it was just pointless to cry? Did you hold yourself back from crying or did you let it out? Over the past 5 years or so, I've gotten much better about controlling tears. Then yesterday happened and my eyes actively HURT from the amount of crying I've done in 24 hours. I also think I'm allergic to my tears.....

13. “Words of wisdom all around but no one ever seems to listen.” What’s your opinion on this? You have to be able to hear them to hear them.

14. Do you prefer the city or country more? Why? I'm essentially a city girl, but I really like living in the country where I can't hear my neighbors' conversations.

15. Have you ever felt like something was so horrible that you just wanted it to be a dream? What was it? Much of the last 4 years.

16. Have you ever had a love/hate relationship with someone? Tell me about it: Welcome to my marriage c. 2012-2017.

17. When did you last turn to God with a problem? What was it? Did it help talking to him? God and I are working on things right now.

18. Has your pride ever gotten in the way of admitting that you felt weak or were in pain? How so? All the time. My pride is a weakness.

[dozed off]

[Back to it 9:58 p.m.]

19. Have you ever wanted something so bad it hurt? What was it? My sanity, this week. Beast, here, this week.
20. Who’s lies had affected you the most? Trump hasn't been great but at least I never believed he might be ok.

***

1. If you married the last person who texted you, what would your last name be? It would be the same, but weird because it was my child.

2. Would you ever get a tattoo?  Unlikely at this point.

3. Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette? Not badly enough to scar.

4. So what do you want for your birthday? I have 10 months to come up with this. Leave me alone!

5. Have you ever kissed someone who was over 18? 'Twould be very icky if I answered this "no" at my age.

6. Have you had an argument with anyone in the last 3 days? Tuesday morning. 

7. When you log into Facebook, do you look to see who’s online and message someone to chat, or do you wait to see if someone will message you first? I don't even look at who is online; I have Messenger open in a separate tab.

8. If you are a girl, has anyone ever told you they think you wear too much make-up? Or if you are a guy, do you prefer girls with or without make-up? I don't wear makeup.

9. Do you think the last person you kissed, has kissed anyone else since the last time they kissed you? I don't think I kissed Sparky while he was home, and before that it's been about 6 months since I kissed Beast.

10. Think about the person you currently love/like. Then think about the person you loved/liked 12 months ago. Is this the same person? Yes.

11. If you are a girl, what color is your favorite lipstick? Or if you’re a guy, what color lipstick do you like your girlfriend to wear?  I haven't worn lipstick in decades.

12. Was your last beverage hot or cold?  Cold.

13. Could you date someone who was shorter than you? Who knows? I'm not looking to date anyone at all.

14. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work?  No. I'm picturing one of the thousands of CD at work and grossing myself out now....

15. By what age would you like to be married? Now seems good.

16. What’s the most you have spent for a haircut? Back about 8 years, I used to spent about $80 every appointment because I was coloring my hair. Now, I not only don't color it, I haven't been to a salon and had it cut in almost 3.5 years.

17. Name everyone you kissed this year: Not to be pedantic, but "this year" = 2021? Or in the past year? No one at all in 2021, and probably only Sparky and Beast last year. 

18. Did your last kiss mean anything to you? It meant the world to me.

19. Where did you buy the shirt you’re wearing now?  Since it's an Ohio State hoodie, I'm assuming it was a gift.

20. Ever kissed someone who smokes? I've had family members who smoked and we kissed. Seems to me there might have been one guy I dated who smoked. It was a long time ago.

21. Do you like kissing in public? At this point, I would probably be very shocked that two people were that close together for any reason.

***

BOLD the true statements:

you’re a girl
you’re 18
your birthday is in May
a lot of the time you don’t feel like an adult
you graduated high school
you are a college student
you have brown hair
you have brown eyes
you wear glasses
you have pierced ears
you live in the USA
you live in the state of New York
you go to college in the state of Vermont
you are an only child
you have a dog ...
...it’s a labrador retriever
you have a cat ...

...that’s really annoying sometimes
you love to read
you love the Warriors books
you are addicted to Thai food
you are also addicted to Starbucks
you have been to Starbucks within the past week
it snowed today where you live  
your favorite Warrior cat is Leafpool
you have never read Harry Potter
music is pretty much your life
you sing in choirs
you play piano
you wish you could play the hammer dulcimer
you really miss the choirs you’ve graduated from
you think you’re a pretty good singer
you want to be a music teacher when you grow up ...
...but you don’t think that will happen
you know music by Jim Papoulis
you know music by Stephen Hatfield
you know music by Andrea Ramsey
you don’t really listen to popular music
you are listening to music right now
you like Frozen
your favorite character in it is Olaf
you play 2048 (not often)
but you still haven’t beat it
you usually like school
but you don’t usually like homework
your favorite academic school subject is/was English
your English teacher is/was your favorite teacher ever
you are/were in your school choir
you don’t like sports
you hate/hated PE
you hate/hated math
you are currently listening to a song that brings back memories
you don’t drive
you’ve never been in a romantic relationship
you have an iPhone
you have an iPod ...
...that you hardly ever use
you have a laptop
you like hanging out with little kids
you have an instagram
you have a twitter
you have a facebook
you have a tumblr
you have a pinterest
you have a youtube
you have been in one or more youtube videos
you have met one or more celebrities
you have a lot of friends
you miss someone right now
you are hopefully going to Europe this coming summer  
you wish it was summer
you speak German
you’re really good at solfege (do re mi, etc)
your favorite clothing brand is aero
you really love converse ...
...but you don’t have any
you have a henna tattoo at the moment
you’re bored
you like chai
you’re craving cheesecake
you’re random

BOLD what you've done:
Had beer
Smoked an entire cigarette
Done drugs.
Written on a bathroom wall.
Read a George Orwell book.
Had a physical fight.
Used Twitter.
Listened to Lady Gaga
Been in a car accident.
Gotten suspended.
Gotten expelled.
Been allergic to something.
Got a computer virus.
Touched a real gun.
Had a dog.
Had a cat.
Been pregnant.
Camped out
Swam in the ocean. (well, waded)
Wore a bikini.
Driven a car
Been sent to the principal.
Ever liked someone.
Failed a class.
Failed a test.
Went to summer school.
Got worse than a D
Got A’s and B’s.
Read an entire book.
Recorded my own music.
Had an xbox.
Worn heels more than 3 days in a row.
Wore fishnets.
Wore skinny jeans.
Hated someone.
Been cheated on.
Cheated on someone.
Practiced Christianity/Catholicism.
Worn makeup.
Lied to my parents about where I was going.  
Had surgery.
Had my license.
Been to college.
Graduated high school.
Attempted suicide.
Self harmed.
Worn colored contacts.
Painted my nails black.
Broken someone’s heart. 
Had my heart broken.
Cried for an hour straight. 
Lost something very valuable.
Got separated from one of my parents as a kid.
Broke a bone.
Gotten stung by a bee
Eaten something bad/expired.
Threw up from being so drunk.
Saw someone throw up from being so drunk.
Danced with someone of the same sex.
Owned an ipod
Danced with someone of the opposite sex.
Owned an iphone.
Fell for a best friend.
Stole a friend’s significant other.
Went far away from home for more than a week.
Moved out.
Ran away.
Had a job.
Been fired.
Lied to a friend.
Lied to a family member.
Had a Facebook.
Posted a video on Youtube.
Started a rumor about someone.
Talked bad about someone.
Dropped out of school.  
Deliberately failed a test.
Been skinny dipping.
Counted to a million.
Counted to a thousand.
Ate rabbit meat.
Ate duck meat.
Had fast food.
Been to church.
Been to Canada.
Been married.
Had a divorce.
Broke a glass.
Hugged someone today.
Texted someone today.
Received a phone call today.
Threw something out of the window.
Ignored a text from someone on purpose.
Wished you were somebody else
Had my feelings hurt by a friend and never told them.  
Kissed someone
Been to a concert
Seen your favorite band live 
Met a celebrity
Met your favorite band  
Owned more than 10 CD’s

[finished 10:21 p.m.]