Domestic Bliss: Take Two

1. Are you usually late, early, or right on time?
Early or on time.  Married to a man on "middle eastern time".  That's (one of the reasons) why I love singing in our parish choir....I go an hour and a half before mass to practice so we take separate vehicles, and I'm always on time.  Let's not talk about going to the movies.

2. What is your middle name?
Elizabeth

3. What are the last 4 digits of your cell phone number?
2721.  I actually have a very cool cellphone number (which you can't tell from just the last four digits), but trust me on this.

4. How big is your bed?
A queen.  I've been hankering for a king, but my main squeeze tells me that we may as well get separate beds as move to a king.  He likes proximity.  I like....space.

5. What are you allergic to?
Possibly erythromycin.  It's not certain, but I had a weird reaction when taking it once years ago for a sinus infection.  Doc wasn't sure whether it was an allergic reaction or just a product of the infection itself.  I just stay away from it.

6. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Decide whether I like the song on the radio (do I turn it off or not?), take my blood pressure, grab glass of water and head to the bathroom.

7. What was your favorite TV show growing up?
I used to watch Bewitched

8. Will you, or did you, go to your 10 year high school reunion?
No.  And it was 28 22 years ago.  [edited:  don't know how I made that arithmetic mistake]

9. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?
There is no sound unless there is a receiver.  It's just sound waves.

10. What, in your opinion, is the greatest invention? (You know, since sliced bread…)
Definitely, the Interwebz.  Before sliced bread, it would have to be fire.

I missed last week's challenge, but I'm back for fifteen questions from Chelsea's Aunt Bonnie!


1. If you could change anything about your physical appearance, what would it be?
I'd like my stomach muscles back.  And slightly less frizz to my hair.

2. Is there a habit in others that you find annoying?
Walking around the house when brushing your teeth.  Sadly, one of my teen sons has picked up this habit.  I wonder who from?  Second is walking around the house shaving with an electric razor.  "He" claims all the hairs are caught by the razor, but I highly doubt it.

4. What was your favorite book as a kid?
Harriet the Spy

5. Did you work as a teenager and if so, where?
I worked in the summers.  Once for my mom, stepping in for the nurse-receptionist in her OB-GYN practice.  Once for a boyfriend's father as a secretary in his small engineering firm.  One summer at Statistics Canada, optimizing retrival times from the CANSIM database (and knitting in the down times) and one summer at Defense Canada in the Defence Research Engineering Operations, doing simulations of bombing runs over airfields.

6. Did you work while in college and if so, where?
I worked one night a week in the Math Library.  It was really just hanging out with my friends and doing homework.  A tiny amount of circulation and shelving duties.  In the summers, I worked as a research assistant to professors in the math and sociology departments.  In grad school, I was a TA, running tutorials and marking homework.

7. When you go to sleep do you like total darkness or semi? When you go to sleep do you need quiet or is some noise ok?
I like total darkness, but my clock radio gives off some light, as does my air purifier.  I can deal with noise.  I fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow.

8. When doing laundry, fabric softener or not?
I use a generic-brand scent-free dryer sheet to prevent static cling. To be honest, it's a habit at this point.  I don't even know if it's necessary, particularly in the summer when it's not dry in the house.

9. Open toed or closed toed shoes?
Both.  Clearly, in winter, there is not much choice here, but in summer, it's open toed all the way.  I pretty much live in my Birkenstoks. I even wear them with socks in the spring and fall.

10. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
This is excruciatingly difficult as I cannot imagine my life without music, but I'd have to say being blind would be more difficult.

11. Dangle or stud earrings?
Dangle.  I have shoulder-length thick hair and studs just get lost in the thicket.

12. Bottled water or tap?
Tap.  Toronto water is pretty great, and we use a Brita filter to get out any traces of nastiness.  I love San Pellegrino sparkling though.

13. What do you put on pancakes?
Butter and maple syrup from our family sugar-bush.  Bananas under the syrup are good too.  Or ricotta cheese.  Plus making extremely eggy pancakes is a plus!

14. On a long trip would you rather drive or fly?
Depends what you mean by long.  Under five hours, I'd rather drive.  Over a five hour drive, I'd rather fly. Flying has become a big PITA these days, and the hassle has to be worth it.

15. Do you prefer classic old movies or new?
Another toughie.  In general, if I had to watch a random movie from a given time period, I'd prefer old.  But certain modern ones are terrific.

Go visit Roots and Rings for more answers!

2. Is it easy to make you cry?
Not really, although certain pieces of music or movie themes can do it.  I have occasionally cried with frustration over my teenage sons.

3. Do you ever feel like people underestimate you?
Yes.  Particularly since I became a stay-at-home mom.  But the great thing about being in mid-life is that I simply don't care.

4. Name 7 completely random things that you like:

1. Lebanese food
2. Getting a massage
3. Reading and napping on the sofa
4. My new chandelier in the living room
5. Walking my dog and listening to BBC podcasts.
6. A glass of wine at 4 pm.
7. Having my sons thank me or tell me they miss me.

6. What is your favorite hair care product?
L'Oreal tecni.art Hairmix Supreme Smooth.  I have frizzy hair and this keeps it smooth and shiny.

7. What’s your favorite song at the moment?
Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong singing "Gone Fishin'"....'cause my son keeps playing it in the car.  He's newly into jazz and music of that era, and he loves this!

8. What’s the number one thing on your Christmas wishlist?
An iPhone.

9. Have you ever lost your cell phone?
Nope, at least not for more than 10 minutes.

10. Did you attack the hordes of shoppers for Black Friday?
We don't really do Black Friday here in Canada, but even if we did, you couldn't pay me enough to shop that day.

1. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A math teacher.  Isn't it every little girl's dream?

2. Name 3 of your irrational fears.

You know, I don't think I have any.  I don't really like okra.  But I'm a big girl and am allowed to not eat everything I'm served.  I'm not big on competitive sports, particularly one involving a racket or bat or club.  So if I ever had to impress someone in a business situation with my golf game, or a tennis match, I'd be pretty frightened.

3. If you had a $200 gift card to any store, what would you want it to be? (Nothing responsible allowed. Can’t be used for groceries or anything)

My first impulse was to say amazon.ca, but I am on a book-buying moratorium until I can clear some shelf space.  So let's say Sephora.  I have a lot of outdated makeup that is probably oozing with bacteria and I'd have no qualms about tossing it all for new stuff.  And I'd like a bottle of Miracle by Lancome.

4. What is your most (blog-friendly) embarrassing moment?

Waiting in a restaurant for a table in a then-fashionable drop-waisted dress.  A woman came up to me, rubbed my tummy and asked me when I was due.  I wasn't. Due.  I guess she should have been the embarrassed one, but I was mortified.

5. If you were only allowed to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

This is too evil to contemplate.  Can I choose a food group?  Fruit?  Cheese?

6. What was your favorite toy growing up?

Spirograph.  My favorite toy that I NEVER GOT, EVEN THOUGH I BEGGED SANTA was an EasyBake Oven.  Apparently, there are lots of grown women who have never forgiven Santa for this, and a lot of their parents who blithely said "You can just use the regular oven, anytime.  I can help you."  Yeah, right.

7. Do you have a “go to” outfit? What is it?

For dressy occasions:  Black velvet pencil skirt, some kind of dressy top.

For every day:  Black cords or jeans, v-neck long or 3/4 sleeve top.  Leather jacket.  Oh look.  That's what I have on today.

8. Who was the best teacher you ever had?

Mr. Cook in Grade 7 and part off Grade 8.  I was in an enriched class and he was terrific.  I can't exactly remember why, but when they switched him out in Grade 8 for another teacher, we all cried.  Okay, maybe just the girls.

9. If you could buy any car right now (something at least SORT OF within the realm of reality…so, you know, a Rolls Royce may not qualify), what would it be?

I like the Nissan Cube, but my family doesn't.  Could it be because they are men?  And this is a car targeted at women? But this is my fantasy, so that'd be it.

10. How do you reckon that Chelsea comes up with 10 of these questions every week? It was hard! What’s your theory on how she’s so creative? Are you going to help her?

Chelsea is clearly brilliant.  Anyone who would research toilet paper the way she did shouldn't be stymied by coming up with ten questions every week.  But yes, I may help out.

4. What are your top three favorite office supply items? (If you don’t share the love of office supplies with me or if you are male, you may skip this question.)
My label-maker, good pens (my husband spots them and brings them home), planners of different sizes.

5. Are you a good public speaker?
Yes, I think so.  In fact, I was complimented by a nun after my theology class today on my articulate speech in a tense discussion during class.  I used to be very nervous, and then I took a Presentation Skills course at work where they videotaped us.  I looked so confident, that I never felt nervous again.

6. How do you feel about acronyms?
I worked in telecom for 17 years, and it's all about acronyms.  So I'm comfortable with them. I love it that Rachel Ray refers to EVOO in her cooking show.

7. What’s the most creative things you’ve ever done? (Bloggers, feel free to include pictures!)
This is a hard one as I am a crafter, but I am very proud of the floor cushions I made out of old skateboarding t-shirts, incorporating the labels into the seams.  I also made a quilt for my older son out of old jeans.

8. I’d rather jam a pen in my eye than…
...watch the American Idol auditions.  I cannot bear to hear people sing off key.  I cannot bear to see people who have no clue that they don't have talent.

9. What company has the best advertising?
Apple.

10. When is your birthday?
July 9, 1960.   The big one approaches!

Another fun set of questions from Chelsea over at Roots and Rings.

1. What gift are you most proud of giving?