101 Questions

I saw this on another blog and stole it.

1. How many keys are on your keychain?

• One for each car, one to the house, mailbox, office, file cabinet, and a good friend's house. The trouble is that I also have two remote-entry-devices (again, one for each car), a compass, a stress-ball, a purse hook charm, and a little metal emblem for my networking club.
  

2. What curse word do you use the most?

• Probably the s-word.
  

3. Do you own an i-pod?

• Yep. Don't do much music, but I'm all about the podcasts!
  

4. What time is your alarm set for?

• Usually 7, but it varies from day to day. I'm usually up before that, but that's my absolute latest option.
  

5. How many suitcases do you own?

• Two that can really be called "suitcases" but several tote bags, briefcases, etc.
  

6. Do you wear flip flops even when it’s cold outside?

• I don't wear flip flops at all. They don't give my foot enough support, so my feet hurt after wearing them for more than 10 minutes.
  

7. Where do you buy your groceries from?

• Mostly Albertson's, but sometimes Target or Ralph's. Occasionally Sam's or Whole Foods.
  

8. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?

• Take pictures, definitely!
  

9. What was the last movie you watched?

• I can't remember.
  

10. Do any of your friends have children?

• Nearly all my friends have children!
  

11. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?

• After I paid off all my debt and put up enough money for my kiddo's college (and grad school, if she decides to go) I'd buy the time of a professional organizer to come in and help me get my library and craft areas set up.
  

12. Has anyone ever called you lazy?

• Probably, but not to my face.
  

13. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?

• Not prescription meds, but I do use over-the-counter meds occasionally.
  

14. What CD is currently in your CD player?

• None. The one in there most recently was Disk 7 of Michael York reading Brave New World.
  

15. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?

• Regular.
  

16. Has anyone told you a secret this week?

• Yes.
  

17. When was the last time someone hit on you?

• I was never very good at figuring out what was "hitting on" and what was not. I guess the last time someone hit on me and I knew it was DH.
  

18. What did you have for dinner?

• Fresh green beans and new potatoes.
  

19. Do you wear hoodies often?

• Nope.
  

20. Can you whistle?

• Yes, but not well or loudly.
  

21. Who was the last person to call you?

• My daughter.
  

22. Have you ever participated in a protest?

• Yes.
  

23. What is your favorite ride at the amusement park?

• Space Mountain. (What? There are amusement parks other than Disney? Surely you jest!) (Edited, 7/2/08. That should be "Splash Mountain." The rest of the statement is completely accurate.)
  

24. Do you think people talk about you behind your back ?

• I'm sure they do, but if it's behind my back, how would I know?
  

25. What area code are you in right now?

• 225
  

26. Did you watch cartoons as a child?

• Still do. I have my collection of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons on my iPod.
  

27. How big is your local mall?

• I have no idea. I only go once or twice a year.
  

28. How many siblings do you have?

• Two sisters.
  

29. Are you shy around the opposite sex?

• I'm a little shy around everyone, no matter what their sex.
  

30. What is your biggest regret?

• Probably being to scared to take a risk.
  

31. When was the last time you laughed so much your sides hurt?

• A couple of days ago reading this blog post on mental_floss.com, and the web page it refers to. To which it refers. Whatever.
  

32. What movie do you know every line too?

• None, but Star Wars is probably the closest I come.
  

33. Do you own any band t-shirts?

• Nope.
  

34. When was your last plane ride?

• Chicago, last October
  

35. How many chairs are at your dining room table?

• Four, with two near the wall in case we need them.
  

36. Do you read for fun?

• Yes, whenever I can. Right now I'm reading The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and The Sunday Philosophy Club series, both by Alexander McCall Smith.
  

37. Can you speak any languages other than English?

• Very rusty French. VERY rusty.
  

38. Do you own your own dishes?

• Well, yeah.
  

39. What color is your bedroom painted?

• Tan, with green accents
  

40. Have you ever cried in public?

• Yes.
  

41. Do you have a desktop or laptop computer?

• Desktop
  

42. Which do you make, wishes or plans?

• Both.
  

43. Are you always trying to learn new things?

• Yes.
  

44. Do you shower on a daily basis?

• During the summer, yes. It's miserably hot here. During cooler weather, it's every day & a half to two days, unless I do something physical.
  

45. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?

• No, but I've kind of entertained the idea of getting one for my birthday this year. Probably won't, though.
  

46. Do you believe that guys should pay on the first date?

• I believe that stating what other people "should" do is the fast track to disappointment.
  

47. Can you skip rocks?

• Only every once in a while. Usually it doesn't work.
  

48. Have you ever been to Jamaica?

• No, but I'd love to go.
  

49. What do you snack on at the movie theater?

• I usually just get a drink.
  

50. Who was your favorite teacher?

• My daughter.
  

51. Have you ever dated someone out of your race?

• No, but then I haven't dated anyone in over 20 years.
  

52. What is the weather like?

• Hot. Yuck.
  

53. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?

• No, I don't think my husband would approve. :)
  

54. Do you have an online journal?

• I have this blog, but it's not really a journal. My journal is on paper, and NOT online.
  

55. What was your favorite class in high school?

• Choir.
  

56. Do you enjoy traveling in airplanes?

• I don't mind it, but don't love it, either.
  

57. What personality trait is a must have in your prefered gender?

• A sense of humor. As a matter of fact, a sense of humor is a must-have in a spouse, partner, friend, sibling, boss, or employee.
  

58. Have you ever been attracted to someone physically unattractive?

• I think it's hard to even define "physically unattractive." Unattractive to whom?
  

59. When was the last time you slept on the floor?

• Probably sometime in the mid 1980's.
  

60. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

• Barefoot Wines' Pinot Grigio. It has this really crisp Green Apple-y flavor.
  

61. Does your closest Starbucks have a drive through?

• I don't know. When I want coffee-shop type stuff, I frequent a local one.
  

62. Do you like your living arrangement?

• Yes. A great husband and a really cool teenage daughter.
  

63. What is your mothers hometown?

• She was a preacher's kid. She moved a lot.
  

64. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?

• Function? 5. Function as an adult, without looking stupid? 8.
  

65. Do you eat breakfast daily?

• Yes. Usually a fruit smoothie.
  

66. What was the last thing that scared you?

• Getting a call from my dad's cell phone yesterday during a meeting. My daughter is with them for a couple of weeks this summer, and Dad doesn't call on his cell phone as a rule. I was afraid something might be wrong. It wasn't. It was Elizabeth telling me that she could see seven different states from where she was standing.
  

67. Are your days full and fast paced?

• Yes, too much so.
  

68. Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?

• Not really.
  

69. What is your favorite fruit?

• Raspberries.
  

70. Do you pay attention to the calories on the back of a package?

• Sometimes. If it's something I'm indulging in, I don't pay attention.
  

71. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?

• 50!
  

72. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?

• Yes. I have to bite my tongue to keep from correcting other people's grammar. Spelling not so much.
  

73. Do you believe in life on other planets?

• I have no idea.
  

74. Have you ever been to Six Flags?

• Yep.
  

75. Who was the last person to piss you off?

• I don't remember, but I'm sure it was very meaningful at the time.
  

76. Do you believe God has a gender?

• No. I think we assign God a gender because our brains aren't really capable of imagining a living thing without a gender.
  

77. What was the last thing you ate?

• A peanut butter sandwich & chips.
  

78. Do you get along better with the same or the opposite sex?

• I get along better with people who don't take themselves seriously, regardless of their gender.
  

79. What did you dress up as on your first Halloween?

• Heaven only knows! I remember a witch costume, though. I was probably 4 or 5, and Mom made matching witch costumes for my sister and me. I think the youngest sister had not been born, or at least she wasn't old enough to participate in Halloween.
  

80. How did your parents pick your name?

• I always believed it was a shortened version of my mom's name, but when I told her that as an adult, she didn't remember that being true.
  

81. Do you like mustard?

• Only mixed with honey and poured on a salad, or dripping from a chicken strip.
  

82. What do you tell yourself when times get hard?

• I try to organize things when times get hard. It usually doesn't work.
  

83. Would you ever sky dive?

• No.
  

84. Do you sleep on your back, your side or your stomach?

• My side.
  

85. What character from a movie most reminds you of yourself?

• John-Boy Walton. Or at least he would if he were John-Girl Walton.
  

86. Have you ever bid for anything on eBay?

• Yes. Got it, too. Then never used it.
  

87. Do you enjoy giving hugs?

• Only to people I really, genuinely care about.
  

88. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?

• No.
  

89. Do you own a digital camera?

• Yes ... and it's one of my favorite things.
  

90. If someone you had no interest in dating expressed interest in dating you, how would you feel?

• Relieved that I'm married and therefore obliged to say no.
  

91. What celebrities have you been compared too?

• I can't remember ever being compared to a celebrity.
  

92. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?

• Probably Obi-Wan.
  

93. Does it annoy you when someone says they’ll call you but never do?

• Only if I really wanted them to call.
  

94. What books, if any, have made you cry?

• The Red Tent, Memoirs of a Geisha, Bag of Bones (yes, that's right. I cried at a Stephen King book.) Dozens more I can't remember now.
  

95. Do you think you’re attractive?

• See question #58
  

96. What are you allergic too?

• Stupid people.
  

97. Are you a jealous person?

• Not really.
  

98. What is your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?

• It's nothing compared to sex WITH emotional commitment.
  

99. Do you feel guilty about eating meat?

• No.
  

100. If you had been born the opposite sex, what would your name have been?

• The story is that I would have been named Robert Wayne, but see Question #80 for my accuracy for stories about my own birth.
  

101. Is it lunch time yet?

• No, the question is, "Is it bedtime yet?"
  

Warning. Political Content Ahead.

Loved this video!

Where to start???

I'm finally at home after three trips in five weeks! The first was to Chicago for a Vermont Oxford Conference, the second was to my nephew's graduation in Brentwood, Tennessee, and the last one was to the United Methodist Church Annual Conference in Shreveport. There are so many things I want to write about that I'm having trouble getting started. It's just too overwhelming.

While I was in Shreveport, I ran into more old friends than I realized I would. It's been a lot of years since I've attended Annual Conference, so I didn't expect that too many folks from my past would still be around. In the preparation for Conference, though, I ran into John and Betty Blackman, youth counselors from my youth group in high school. Among other things, I learned that they're great-grandparents!

Emails and Baptism

It's scary having someone who's not like you who may end up as the President of the United States. I've received all the Obama emails, and I struggle with how to respond. Do I respond with righteous indignation? If anything justifies indignation, it's blatant racism. Do I respond with Active Listening? I could tune in to the feelings of the writer (or, more likely, the forwarder): fear, anxiety, their own anger. Do I respect my elders (and many of the forwarders are my elders) and allow them their opinion? For them to be my elders, they've got to be on up there, so what are the chances they'll change at this point? And how much influence can they really have?

Questing Parson posted a wonderful email addressing the subject. You can find it here.

Discovered while reading Alan R. Bevere's weekly roundup of the MethoBlogoSphere.

God's Language

Found this great post on Enter the Rainbow ... all about what our response should be to people who speak other languages. And it starts with a Children's Sermon story. I'm a sucker for stories about Children's Sermons.

NO BRACES!!!!

Elizabeth got her braces off this morning! This does not mean she's through with the orthodontist, though; she goes back Thursday for her retainer, she's got to see the dentist to clean up some leftover glue and a small cavity that developed, and then there's a whitening treatment that Dr. Hiller's staff recommends. (According to them, it's not unusual for teeth to look dull when the bands come off.) The first two photos are the BEFORE shots, and the last two are AFTER.

Yay, Elizabeth!!!

No whining.

I've been putting off blogging for about a week and a half because my mind is full whiny stuff, and I don't want to read it, so why should anyone else? So here goes ... a no whining post.

I spent the last weekend in April in Chicago at the Vermont Oxford Collaborative. There were several things that happened during the weekend that are worth talking about. First was my chance to visit with my friend Judy.

Judy lived in Baton Rouge about 25 years ago, and we were volunteers together at The Phone. We became good friends while she was here, and kept our friendship going when she moved to New Orleans. Once she went back to Chicago and we both got married and had kids, it turned into an occasional email friendship ... we tried to keep each other updated, but time sometimes slipped by without contact. Last summer Judy emailed to tell me and her daughter, Jordyn, were traveling to Baton Rouge for a wedding. We ended up reconnecting (and introducing our daughters to each other) and had a terrific time. She also got to meet Jeaux. I had forgotten how much I loved her quirky sense of humor, and the fact that it's pretty hard to say anything that she'll take the wrong way.

So when I found out I was going to be in Chicago I emailed her and we got to spend some time together. She took a day or two of vacation, and we spent the time drinking wine on her porch and talking about life, the universe, and everything. I got to meet her husband, Jeff, and visit with Jordyn some more. They're hoping to make a trip to New Orleans next summer, and I can't wait to have the chance to visit with them again.

When Judy dropped me off at my hotel I started calling to hook up with my team from Woman's Hospital. When we finally connected, one of the team members told me she had gotten tickets to see Wicked at the Oriental Theater. And not just "tickets" but front row center tickets!

What an experience! I read and enjoyed Gregory Maguire's book, but the stage production was more than I imagined. And when Galinda (played by Kate Fahrner) descended on her bubble, with four bubble machines going at full tilt, there were bubbles popping in our laps. That's how close we were.

There. No whining. And I even feel a little better after writing it.