{We Asked 100 Questions}

1. How long has it been since you've ridden a school bus?
-I grew up three blocks from school. So, I walked as a kid.
But I took one when we went camping in Oklahoma. It got us
from the place where you rent canoes to the place where you
start canoeing. That was probably summer of '03. D had to
go to the emergency room to get stitches that trip.

2. What do you think of frogs?
-I don't think of frogs.

3. What's the worst Christmas present you've ever gotten?
-Never a bad one. I really think it's the thought that counts.
My favorite one had to be the finger painted mugs Aidan and
Catherine made for us in 2004.

4. Suppose you *had* to get some sort of tattoo, right now.
What would you get?
-Well, I can tell you it wouldn't be on my shoulder and it
wouldn't have an eyeball on it.

5. Which would you rather die from, burning to death or
"bird flu"?
-Dear god. What a choice! Okay, burning to death sounds
horrifying. So, I'll take the bird flu, and if Doctor
Kevorkian happened to be around when things got really
bad, so be it.

6. If weed was legal, would you smoke it?
-Let's start with, I absolutely think it should be legal.
And yes, I would. Not everyday or anything. But recreationally?
Sure.

7. How about if heroin was legal?
-Uh, no. Dumb question.

8. Do you use any kind of lip gloss/lip balm?
-Constantly. David's not a fan of the stickiness of it,
and he says it doesn't moisturise my lips. So, I'm always
on the prowl for something that looks and tastes good,
stays on but kisses off nicely and will make my lips
smooth. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think
I may have found just that Aveda with products! I was in there
last week, and Anna, the darling woman working at the time,
showed me a few products. They don't use any chemicals and
they actually heal your lips unlike the glosses I usually use.
I'm a really big fan of the balm and gloss I bought. So, I
think I'm going to go and buy some more this week!

9. Do you like pumpkin pie?
-Sure do! It's been two or three years since I've had it
though.

10. Who do you want to be President (it doesn't have to be
an actual candidate)?
-Right now, Obama! Hillary would have been my second choice.
But if neither of them were in the running --
John Stewart with Joel McKale as veep or
Morgan Sherlock with Michael Moore. That would be a ticket!
Actually, Dennis Kucinich would get my vote.

11. If you were alive in the 1960s, would you have been a hippie?
-I'm pretty sure I woulda been. Free love, world peace and mind
expanding drugs. I did that for a few years without the 60's.

12. Do you like dinosaurs? Which is your favorite?
-I can't say I would qualify as the president of their fan
club, but they're cool.

13. What genre of music makes you want to shoot your ears off?
-Hmm? Shooting of ears. I'd say super hard heavy metal and super
hardcore rap aren't favs. So, I just don't listen to it. What
really gets me are annoying commercials.

14: What was the last board game you played?
-Sequence

15. Would you let your grandma set you up on a blind date?
-Assuming I wasn't married to the fabulous D? Sure. Why not?
My Grandma Dusterhoft had a habit of chatting people up when
they were out. She'd have a whole waiting room of friends by
the time she got seated at Bill Knapps. I loved that about her.
I'm sure she would have picked a nice boy.

16. Speaking of which, ever been hit on by a much, much older person?
-Yeap. And I dated one of them for awhile.

17. You can't find the remote. Where is the first place you look?
-I never lose it because I put it in the same, exact spot everyday.
So, it's either there or David is holding it.

18. Where would you rather live, in a barn or in an inner-city
church basement?
-That really depends on the day, for me. I think I'd like both.
When I'm feeling quiet, peaceful and in touch with nature,
I'd stay at the barn. On days when I'm feeling a little
edgier and/or wanting to change the world, I'd do the inner
city church. But if I had to stay in a regular suburb church
basement, I'd rather shoot my ears off.

19. How do you feel about Hello Kitty?
-My relationship with Hello Kitty is not so different
from the one I have with frogs. The Hello Kitty does
make me think of Julie Hoopes though because she's a
fan. I've never asked her why that is...

20. Paper or plastic?
-Reuseable, made of sturdy material. Fo-sure. I still get
plastic once in a while so we have a small stash available
for picking up after the dogs and cleaning out Oliver's litter
box, but we really shouldn't be using plastic bags for that.
Now, that would be a good new years resolution for us --
zero tolerance for plastic bags in our household. I like that
idea!

21: Compost heaps: yes or no?
-I'd love to have one! I've read all about them, but it's
not conducive to our small yard that's home to dogs and
that's settled in a neighborhood. David and I will have
one if we ever buy a place with more property.

22: What kind of socks are you wearing right now?
-The invisible kind. It's the Phoenix way.

23. Are you part of a "subculture"?
-I'm doing good just to fully participate in the main one.

24. Do you type with all your fingers, or just 2?
-All or nothin'. D's dad is a two finger typer. I love
watching him on the keyboard, but I can't even imagine
writing like that.

25. Do you believe in astrology?
-They say that a Capricorn and a Taurus is a good
match. I believe in that.

26. Are you good at math?
-I'm great at getting the answer to any math question
if I have a phone near and can call David or my brother.
If I have to figure it out myself, it's more of a
I'm-in-tears-situation. I did thoroughly enjoy Media
Research Methods though, which was the most useful math
I have ever learned!

27. Are you politically correct?
-I really try; however, I believe being too PC keeps us from
having real conversations about complex situations like
race relations, for example. I make an effort to be kind and
real. There is one totally non-PC word that I use but am
trying not to.

28. Do you know what a semicolon is?
-See #27

29. Have you ever worn a Hawaiian shirt?
-I'd say it's been about 24 years since I did...
Click here and look at the top, right photo.

30. Have you ever dated someone you didn't really like? Why?
-Oh, yes. I'm afraid I have. If I had to boil it down to a
simple answer, I suppose it would be because I didn't really
like myself at the time. But I also think we let people in and
out of our life for a reason. I think I've learned something from
everyone I've dated or been friends with, even if it was never
'meant to be'.

31. Do you resent members of the opposite sex?
-Um, no. Wha??

32. Atlantic or Pacific?
-Atlantic because of the coast there. Maryland, South Carolina,
the Jersey Shore. I'd move to the upper to middle east coast in
a minute. I really do want to get to Oregon and Washington
in the next year or two though. Never been... Yet!

33. What animal do you most resemble?
-In high school, a lion. Now? I don't know. What do you think?
Sometimes I feel like I have a turtle chin.

34. How often do you eat macaroni and cheese?
-One or two times a year. If I buy it in the store, it's
the original powder cheese Kraft Mac and Cheese for me.
I'd rather have a homemade gourmet, multi cheese baked
version though if I'm going to do it. Mmm.

35. Are you into philosophy? If so, what are your
philosophical influences?
-I'm not even sure how to answer this. So, I guess not.
I'm not attracted to thought that is systematic or a
structured reasoned argument. I mean, obviously I
have some things that I have come to believe and I try
to live by, but those things evolve as I do.

36. What was the best concert you've ever been to?
-I haven't been to too many concerts. I've loved all that
I've gone to. It's just not something I've done much of.
The absolute best one was U2 in Dallas 2001 or 2002. And
before that, Lilith Fair in Michigan. Such a fun night.
I'd really like to see Jack Johnson and Lenny Krevitz.

37. If someone gave you $100,000 to shave your head, would you?
-It wouldn't be pretty, but I'd totally do it.

38. Have you ever met a hermaphrodite?
-Perhaps, but they don't usually wear a name tag that says,
"Hello, I'm intersexual". What a struggle that must be for
people that are born having no choice but to deal with it.

39. Do you sweat a lot?
-I'm a head sweater. It's a curse. I am also sweaty for about
an hour after I shower and blow dry my hair. If I'm this
hot now, I can't even imagine what menopause is going to
be like for me.

40. What, if any, hair products do you use?
-Lately, I use a pony tail holder and that's it! Once it cools
off, I'll go back to two small pumps of phemollient on wet hair
and a touch of Control Paste once it's dry. I've also been
using Bed Head Headrush or Aveda Light Elements Smoothing
Fluid for softness and shine. I was super excited to find the
latter recently -- I'd been looking for a replacement of a very
similar product I used to buy in Dallas.

41. Do you enjoy thrill rides (roller coasters, etc.)?
-Yes, I do. I get myself all freaked out just before a big drop,
and I always think I'm actually going to pee in my pants...
but I love it. I just can't do the rides that go around in
circles. I don't have the stomach for that at all.

42. Have you ever seen a 3-D movie?
-No sir, I have not.

43. What should someone do if they deliberately want
to make a bad impression on you?
-Hey, I'm a big supporter of the First Amendment.
Everyone has the right to think for themselves and shout
their views from the rooftops. But if you tell me you're a
double-negative-using male chauvinist, racist, neo-Conservative
who loves guns, hates gays, is pro life, and doesn't believe global
warming is real but does believe babies will be stuck in purgatory
if they die before being baptised -- I won't make a lot of room
for you in my calendar because you're just an idiot. And if you
drive slow in the left lane, I will want to throw dynamite at
you.

44. Have you ever drank a whole bottle of liquor by yourself?
-That was a good day, let me tell ya. No 15 year old with self
esteem issues and hatred for her parents should be given
a bottle of vodka. And I think it was Popov. Ighh!
Sadly enough, it took multiple bad experiences for me to
learn that lesson. (Wow, right?)

45. Does anyone know you're filling out this survey right now?
-Not a soul. Mwa-ha-ha-ha.

46. Do you smoke cigarettes, and if so, what kind?
-No! I did for quite awhile (a pack a day of Marlboro lights),
but I'm so glad I don't anymore! I will have one on occasion,
but I can do that without getting addicted to them or needing
them regularly. If I have a little too much to drink or have
a really, really, really bad day -- I'll break down and have
one or two. (I went through a whole pack last week for the
first time since January.)

47. What word processing program is on your computer?
-Word.

48. Have you ever read "The Odyssey"? What did you think of it?
-Yes, in high school. It's been a long time since I've picked it
up, but I remember liking it. It's amazing to me that something
written that long ago is still being read, studied and written
about. It's a good story!

49. What's the worst insult anyone's ever given you?
-"You're acting like your mom" or "Okay, Karen".

50. The best compliment?
-"You're a people genius." Not that I think I am,
but I loved hearing it. And "you're really authentic".

51. Do you sleep with your door open or closed?
-When we got Killian three years ago, we started sleeping with
the door closed. I wanted to keep him in our room so he didn't
jump off the bed when we were asleep and go to the bathroom
or chew something elsewhere in the house. Shutting the door
when we went to bed just became a habit. I even stuck with it
when we were in Ireland and didn't have Killian with us. It
creeped me out to have it open. I always feel like the
boogie man is going to walk through it while we're sleeping.
But then, we got Oliver in February. I wanted him to be able
to roam in and out. He usually spends about three quarters of
the night curled up on my right side, but he likes to roam
and may need to get to his litter box. So now, I keep the
door open about six or eight inches which is enough to let
him out but keep the dogs in.

52. What is your favorite item from your favorite fast-food
restaurant?
-Original chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a.
Chocolate shakes from Jack in the Box.
Diet coke or iced tea from McDonalds.

53. Do small children like you?
-When we're in the store and there's a little kid in line
in front of me, I always wave and smile at them. David says,
"Leave the little kid alone, Sam. You're scaring them." I
don't think it's true though.

54. Do animals like you?
-Yes! Especially mine because I treat them like royalty.

55. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
-I would rather be too cold because I can always turn the
heat on, snuggle and add layers. I love dressing in layers
and in the colors that go with fall and winter. When I'm
too hot, I head sweat and look I'm head sweating! Love
that!

56. What's your favorite beer?
-Corona Light, Killians Red, Blue Moon, Oberon, and Fat Tire.
Not a big beer drinker, but I know what I like.

57. Have you ever lived in a college dorm? If not, do you think
you could handle it?
-I have not. And sure I think I could have handled it if I
were in my early 20's. Now? I'd have to have one all to
myself if it were going to work!

58. Have you ever met a psychotic person (officially diagnosed)?
-I think I lived with one for 17 years.

59. Which show sucks less: "The Hills" or "Wheel Of Fortune"?
-Never watched the Hills. Wheel of Fortune isn't bad.

60. Do you like spicy food?
-Yes, yes, yes! Most of all I like spicy food when it's cooked
by David. His has awesome flavor. And Jen Truman can make her
enchiladas for me any day of the week! They're amazing.

61. Do you read poetry? If so, who is your favorite poet?
-I don't really; however, I took a Shakespeare class at ASU.
His writing is a thick and tough to get through, but when
you take the time to dissect it with someone who can
help you figure it out, it's insanely interesting (and loaded
with sexual innuendo). I mostly preferred the No Fear version
of Shakespeare. It prints the whole play in one book with
a modern English on the left with the corresponding original
Old English version on the right. It's awesome and
the soul reason I wrote fantastic papers in that class, thank
you very much.

62. What else could you be doing, other than filling out this survey?
-Everything!

63. What is your earliest memory?
-Baking with Linda Evans and Linda Siple, two women that
babysat me. Getting up really, really early in the morning and
crawling into bed with my parents. Going to run errands with
my dad on Saturdays. Watching my mom get ready in the morning.
The dress Jamie Sutton wore on the first day of kindergarten.
Hanging out with my big sister. I used to sneak into the fort
she made under the back stairs and steal her lemon drops.
(She'd tell on me, and my mom would ask me if I took them.
I would always lie and say I didn't and end up getting
a spanking.) Going to church and door-to-door with church people.
(It's ridiculous that they would make such little kids go to
church three times a week, plus go to people's houses to preach
the shit! Leaving that religion was the best decision I've
ever made.)

64. What is something you consider "classy"?
-Toned, tanned long legs in heels and a dress.
A man with sexy hands holding a cigar.

65. What video/computer games do you like?
-Online Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Online Text Twist. Does blogging count? I play around
with that a lot online, too...obviously.

66. Do you know your IQ, and if so, what is it?
-Nope. I don't even really care to know it either. I don't
think it's a solid measure of intellect because it only tests
a person's knowledge in a certain way. It doesn't account
for street smarts and intuition. I would still be a bit
curious what I'd score! (I might have been fibbing when
I said I didn't.) If you ever want to read a really interesting
book on the initial development and use of the IQ test,
get The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould.
Amazingly insightful.

67. Do you drink TAB?
-I don't. Diet Coke is my pop-of-choice.

68. Do you talk about your friends behind their backs?
-I really, really try not to! My friends could tell you better
then I could, but I absolutely believe that if someone is
talking to you in a bad way about their friends, you can
bet money that they'll talk about you to other people, too.
I don't want any of my friends to ever think I don't love
them because my friends are my family, and I'd never
want to do anything to hurt them. My three best friends
never, ever see each other though. So, from time to time,
I do fill them in on what's happening with each other, but I
think what I share is on the up-and-up.

69. Do you use abbreviations such as LOL or OMG outside of IMs?
-I think OMG is the only one I ever use, like on emails and blog
comments. I write LO, for layout, too. That's it.

70. What is your favorite vegetable?
-It's so hard to narrow it down to one. Wow. I was on a huge
cucumber kick there about a year. Now though, tomatoes
(even thought it's technically a fruit) and red bell peppers.
I like to use garlic and onions in basically everything.

71. Sweet or sour?
-Another touch one! Sweets probably win just because
they're easier to get my hands on when I want something
like that. Grapefruit sours and Cherry Republic sours are
two of my favorite candies though. They're sweet and
sour.

72. What's the longest airplane ride you've ever been on?
-Michigan to Ireland. Or Ireland to Michigan. I flew that
eight times in 2006.

73. Do you regularly take any medication?
-I've been on birth control forever and on Lexapro since
January.

74. What's the closest you've ever come to dying?
-Don't have any close to death stories to tell. I did have
mono and pneumonia at the same time my freshman year in
high school. I felt like death then. And in my senior year,
I got my wisdom teeth pulled and got four dry sockets and
was throwing up for a week, which made my mouth pain feel
so much worse. I wanted to die then.

75. What are you really proud of that not many people know about?
-I'm the best present wrapper in the west, and I have three
of the best girl friends a girl could ask for. So blessed in
that department!!

76. Are you really into high school or college sports?
-No. I like to go to the games if I can drink and talk to people!

77. Do you regularly spend money on things you don't need?
-I don't need almost anything. So, yeah. I try not to, but
sometimes I can't resist a four dollar large, non-fat, 130 degree
latte or a shopping trip to a craft store. Or another pair of shoes.
Or cute stuff for the house from TJ Maxx. Or another cute shirt.
School starting back up means I'll actually save money because
I won't have as much time for shopping excursions like that!

78. Have you ever practiced archery?
-Uh, no. Actually, wait. I think we did one week of
archery in high school gym my freshman year. I don't
remember being particularly successful at it.

79. Do you eat the cherry on top of your ice cream sundae?
-Yes, and everytime I think to myself, god those are gross.
Why did I eat that?

80. What does the color yellow make you think of?
-A long sundress I used to have. Melissa Luhring, a girl
I worked with in Dallas because she always told me
I looked beautiful in yellow. Norah. The nickname Jen
Truman has for me, Samshine. Lemons. The formal dress
Kate Hudson wore in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

81. What is your local newspaper called?
-The Arizona Republic and The East Valley Tribune. I
had each of them come to the house for three months
and wasn't impressed. If I had to read one over the
other, I'd read the Tribune.

82. What city do you wish was your hometown?
-I wouldn't change the one I had because that would
change everything else about me. But for fun --
Portland, San Diego, Napa, somewhere in Maine or
Vermont. Maybe Minneapolis, Philly, Boulder or NYC.
Or Salt Lake. I think someday I want to live where it
snows in the winter again, but I would have liked to have
grown up closer to the ocean and ski hills.

83. You've just tooted loudly in public. What do you do?
-OMG. Turn eight shades of red. Look down. Move away
quickly and pretend it didn't happen.

84. Have you ever had a lucid dream?
-Of course! Everyone does, I would think. I most often have
them when I wake up in the morning and then drift back to
sleep either after David wakes up or after I hit my snooze
button. They're crazy!

85. How about sleep paralysis?
-No. I have been told I snore, but I don't believe that.

86. How often do you dream about zombies?
-Never ever.

87. What kind of accent do you have (EVERYONE has one)?
-Midwestern. You can hear it in my vowels.
Bagel. Pop. Barrett.

88. Do you think mushrooms are cool-looking?
-They're alright.

89. Are you dyslexic?
-I don't have an issue with letters, but I often flip numbers
around. If I'm writing numbers for something important, I
always double check them.

90. Do you think it's interesting to study religions other than
the one you practice?
-I don't practice a religion, per say. I guess I'm Agnostic;
although, I've never spent the mental energy to think about
it and put that lable on my thoughts. As far as studying or
learning about other religions, I think it's extremely
interesting, and it's important in order to understand where
others are coming from. Religion has played a powerful role
in civilizations and cultures worldwide forever, basically.
It's a think-free, packaged belief system, in my mind, for
those who blindly follow it by the letter. So, I think it's
telling about people when they're consumed with it.
(i.e., my parents and older sister). I mean, can you honestly
say that you believe religion x, y or z is really the only
true way to think and believe with all the religious concept
on the plantet? Hardly. But religion can be many other, more
healthy things too. Like a social connection, a way to focus
and calm the mind, a basic guide or path for life. I think it
is what you make of it. There are a lot of fascinating stories
and practices involved with religion that are so much fun to
learn about. In fact, one of my favorite classes at community
college in Michigan was a religion class. We spent one semester
learning the basic differences of Christianity, Judism,
Hinduism, and Budhism. Our class was small and wildly diverse,
religiously speaking. We had wonderful discussions. That is
also where I met my friend Amy Jackson! I've taken several
art history classes too. With those come a look at different
religious perspectives as they have related to the art world.
I've actually found some appreciation for teachings in eastern
religious philosophy through my limited exposure to them in
school.

91. Have you ever felt an earthquake?
-No. I grew up in Michigan though where there were a lot of
tornado watches and warnings. We would make a little fort under
the pool table in our basement and hide under there when the
tornado alarm sounded in town. Fortunately, our neighborhood
never had a tornado touch down.

92. Suppose you're the greatest painter who ever lived, but
you can only paint one last picture before you die. What is
your painting of?
-I guess that depends on what kind of painter I was. I think
my last painting would be enormous though -- like the size
of a wall. Maybe it would be of something natural.

93. What is the sexiest color of finger/toenail polish?
-Creamy french. Not stark white tips but creamy french.
For toes, red, if you have the right color skin.

94. What is the worst job you could possibly imagine having?
-Anything involving the inside of a sewage drain. Being a
spokesperson for the Bush Administration. Cleaning out
porta-potties. Working at a slaughter house. Coal mining.
Putting animals to sleep. Being the Pope. Working in a morgue.

95. Do you think pigs are cute?
-I respect the pig, but I only think they're cute
when they're piglets.

96. Do you pay your own bills?
-I did for a long time. Now I set our accounts up and then
David pays them. He's awesome at it, and I love not doing
it.

97. How many methods of contraception are you aware of?
-I'm pretty informed on all of them, I think. I take the pill.

98. Do you own ripped jeans that weren't ripped on purpose?
-Why, yes I do. My favorite pair is too tight right now.
I've gotta work on that.

99. Can you give a good back massage?
-I think so! I do full body massages for David. I cover
him with a sheet and a blanket, just like they do at the spa,
and I do his whole body, front and back. TMI? He's usually
such a pile of mush afterwards that he sleeps for two hours
and wakes up in a total haze. So, that makes me think
they're not too shabby.

100. What do you do before you go to sleep?
-Pick up. Make sure everything is in it's place. Turn all
the lights off. Put my pjs on. Brush my teeth. Go tinkle.
Peak out the bedroom door to see Oliver in the hall. Get
down on his level and tell him how cute he is. Play peek
a boo with him around the corner. Go back into our room.
Touch David's feet. Set my alarm clock. Pull the covers
back. Get into bed. Love on D and the dogs. Read The Week.
Begin to fall asleep while reading. Turn off light. Drift
off. And I do it in that order -- every night.