More than you want to know

I came across the following Meme over at Jaquandor's blog...

I'm not so full of myself to think anyone actually cares, but it looked amusing so I thought I'd take a crack at these questions just to see what sort of answers I'd come up with for myself:

1) Do you have a crush on somebody?

I Googled the word "Crush" and found all sorts of nonsense, along with a few actually somewhat insightful pieces about. I kind of liked THIS ONE for kids.

I DO well remember crushes of the past and how confusing, deliciously exciting, scary, and embarrassing they could be.

But it has been many years since I've been in that emotional state. I do not have a "crush" at this point. Instead, I have wild, passionate, intense, very serious intimate love. These days my life is blessed with knock me to the ground, weak in the knees, steal away my breath sort of love. Love that will last even if he gets old and sick and I have to change his depends. Love that has carried us through the loss of a child, the loss of a job, the loss of our illusions about many things. I am wild crazy mad in love with this man of mine and it makes every day worth living. He's my world. What more can I say?

2) Do you hate more than 3 people?

I feel moments of contempt for ugly choices people make. But I believe I can honestly say I don't actually hate anyone.

3) How many houses have you lived in?

More than I have fingers and toes. Maybe more than my fingers and toes and yours too. I've moved a lot.

4) Favorite candy bar?

I'm not a big candy bar eater. I like pie. In the face or in the belly, either way it's a nice treat. When I want sweet nibbles I usually go for caramel rice cakes.
Sort of like eating sugared Styrofoam.

(There's no question 5! Anybody want to suggest a Question 5?)

6) Have you ever tripped someone?

Not on purpose. However, I did take cross country skiing for my PE credit in college. I totally collided with another skier, causing a trip to the third power. Trip cubed for sure. She needed knee surgery after. It was ugly.

7) Least favorite school subject?

Math - DEFINITELY.

8) How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Imelda who??? I'll never tell.

9) Do you own a Britney Spears CD?

No, no and HELL NO!

10) Have you ever thrown up in public?

HMMM How honest do I want to get here? I've been clean, sober and striving to follow the path of Christ for about 27 yrs. But back in the day I was known to partake in all manner of mind altering substances for recreational purposes. I vividly recall a night of peyote puking with friends out in my brother's okra patch back when I was young and foolish.

Sometime I may have to blog about my beloved's horrid puke escapade the time he got food poisoning in Boston. It's actually a sort of cool story once you get past the vomit.

11) Name one thing that is always on your mind:

Uh - this one is private.

12) Favorite genre of music?

No single genre. I change tastes with my mood - listening to anything from Rachmaninoff , Billy Holiday, Cat Stevens , Uriah Heep or my husband singing me old Elvis Presley songs in the bathtub. I also really dig Orthodox choirs.

I almost never willingly listen to country and I just don't get opera.

13) What's your sign?

I think the zodiac is silly. My star sign is Libra - but my LIFE sign would probably say something like "work in progress"

14) What time were you born?

Don't know, don't care.

15) Do you like beer?

Yech. There were many vices that were a challenge to give up. This was not one. I still remember pouring half a beer into a potted plant at my first alcohol party because I thought it tasted awful. When I got older I experimented with different brands. Never did acquire a taste for the stuff. Now straight tequila - that was another story.... But nothing of that nature in many, many moons.

16) Have you ever made a prank phone call?

No, but I've received a few.

18) Are you sarcastic?

At times.

19) What are your favorite colors?

I don't much care for orange or yellow but can appreciate just about everything else. My favorite colors in nature are the bright scarlet of sugar maple trees in the fall or the intense green of new leaves on trees. I like the bruised look of the sky right before it rains. I love the many shades of sunset - even when they turn yellow and orange. Thank you God for all the colors.

20) How many watches do you own?
I know I must still have two or three in various drawers of the house somewhere, but I have not actually worn one in months.

21) Summer or winter?

This is too vague. For what? Some stuff summer, some stuff winter. I like living in a place with diverse seasons. I try to appreciate them all, but like most folks have been known to whine some about the extremes on either end.

22) Is anyone in love with you?

Yes, my husband is IN LOVE with me. Yet if you take the "in" away from the question and just start considering who loves me in some fashion or another...I'm still pretty lucky. I feel loved by my siblings, friends, cousins, sons, grandkids, church family....It's a good feeling to know I matter to others. Then of course there's the most significant love of all - I know that I am a child of God and I am loved by Him in a way that is incomprehensible, unconditional, and absolute, even when I least deserve it. That's pretty powerful.

23) Favorite color to wear?

Whatever's clean. Not a huge priority to me. I definitely don't look good in yellow. It makes me look nauseas. I like blue. It goes with my eyes.

24) Pepsi or Sprite?

Actually I'd rather drink root beer or caffeine free Diet Dr. Pepper. But mostly I drink water.

25) What color is your cell phone?

STUPID question, but it's black.

26) Where is your second home?

Heaven.

27) Have you ever slapped someone?

Yes, and I STILL feel bad about it. When my 32 year old son was about 11 or 12 we had an encounter that culminated in me slapping him for using a word I found most incredibly offensive. It was NOT the right response, but just a visceral reaction to hearing that word come out of my child's mouth. I felt dreadful immediately and never did it again.

28) Have you ever had a cavity?

Several. I probably put the family dentist's kids through college.

29) How many lamps are in your bedroom?

Who thinks these things up? Some are really SOOOO pointless.

Three. One on each night stand and then a floor lamp over by the chair where my hubby sits to play the guitar and read his scriptures every night before bed.

30) How many video games do you own?

None. Won't have 'em in the house.

31) What was your first pet?

Don't know about FIRST but probably the most interesting were three squirrel monkeys: Penny, Chico and Jacko.

32) Ever had braces?

Nope, but probably should have. My parents didn't have money, so I was lucky to get all them cavities filled. When my folks used to take the 5 of us to the dentist for back to back appointments we always went in according to birth order. As the middle kid, I always went in third. When my oldest brother would come out and my next brother would go in, brother #1 would spend the whole time I was waiting my turn saying things like "now, I don't want to scare you, but there is going to be a lot of blood and it might hurt so bad you wet your pants. But it is important you don't scream cause that would scare the little kids. So be sure you stay quiet, ok?" Yeah, he was a master of psychological torture....Very cool guy NOW, but then? Marquis de Sade had nothing on my big brother Wayne. No wonder I used to be so phobic of dentists!

33) Do looks matter?

Absolutely, and I make no apology for it. I'm not so shallow as to think that they are the MOST important feature, but they do matter.

34) Do you use chapstick?

Nope, Not chopsicks either.

35) Name 3 teachers from high school:

Suffice it to say that high school was not my finest hour. I bailed out at 16 and went back later for a GED. I have my GED hanging in my office next to my masters degree. Frankly, I'm prouder of the GED.

36) American Eagle or Abercrombie?

Are you kidding? I live in a podunk town with no stores. I'm thrilled if I can drive the 30 miles to the closest JC Penny's or Sears.

37) Are you too forgiving?

Is that possible? At times I'm too gullible. But I don't think we can forgive too much.

38) How many children do you want?

I have two sons who are my biological children, plus three living and one deceased step kids, and eight grandkids.
That's probably plenty. Sometimes I get sad I did not give birth to one more. But it is what it is.

39) Do you own something from Hot Topic?

I don't even know what Hot Topic is. (And no, I didn't just forget to delete Kelly's answer to this. I don't know what it is either).

40) Favorite breakfast meal:

Does cold pizza count? What I eat in the morning varies - depends on how much time I have. Usually I grab a banana and a bagel and call that good. I do like French toast, especially if it as been coated in crunchy granola and the milk/egg batter has a little vanilla and cinnamon put in it. Yum Yum! I like going out for breakfast on lazy weekend mornings. I usually get the typical eggs/bacon/hashbrowns with a biscuit. Love good biscuits!

41) Do you own a gun?

I have an awesome high power squirt gun. My husband has several hunting rifles, so there are guns in the house but I'm not really into them.

42) Ever thought you were in love?

Refer back to question #1

43) When was the last time you cried?

Last Thursday.

44) What did you do 3 nights ago?

Went geocaching with my husband on Saturday in the afternoon then grabbed burgers and fries on the way home. Cheap date, lots of fun.

45) Olive Garden?

Hey, anything I don't have to cook is good with me!

46) Have you ever called your teacher mommy?

This is a way stupid question. No. But then, I rarely called my mother "mommy" either.

47) Have you ever been in a castle?

Yes - in Victoria, BC. It was cool.

48) Nicknames?

Belladonna Piranha

49) Do you know anyone named Bertha?

I have an aunt named Bertha. She goes by Bert.

50) Ever been to Kentucky?

Yep. Explored some cool caves at a place called "Raccoon Mountain".
Also went through it on my way to Nashville one time.

The only states I have not been in are Maine and all those tiny ones clustered up there in New England.

51) Do you own something from Banana Republic?

Nope. Remember, small town NO STORES.

52) Are you thinking about somebody right now?

Do the characters of a book count? I just finished reading the book "Animal Farm" this evening so I am still pondering over it.

53) Ever called somebody Boo?

Only Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

54) Do you smoke?

Not anymore. Gave that up with all those other nasty vices.

55) Do you own a diamond ring?

Yes - my wedding band has three diamonds in it.

56) Are you happy with your life right now?

Most days yes. Some days no. There are of course some specific things about it I might wish were different...But generally I'm pretty grateful for the whole gambit of experiences I get dealt - even the stinky ones as they often turn out to be my greatest teachers.

57) Do you dye your hair?

Yes.

58) Does anyone have a crush on you?

I seriously doubt it!

59) Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?

I don't drink coffee... But I do love Walla Walla Roastery for other things.

60) What were you doing in May of 1994?

You've got to be kidding me. I had a hard time with the question about what I was doing three nights ago!

62) McDonald's or Wendy's?

Taco Bell (But Wendy's if I had to really limit myself to the other two)

63) Do you like yourself?

Today, yes.


64) Are you closer to your mother or father?

Neither. I was raised by wolves. Both of my biological parents are deceased, but even when they were alive we were not close.


65) Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex?

beard. ( I have a SERIOUS beard fetish....After years of being clean shaven, my husband let his whiskers grow during the last deer hunt. I liked it so much I mailed his fancy expensive razor to our son in Michigan so my beloved would keep the beard.)

66) Are you afraid of the dark?

depends who I get to share it with.

67) Have you ever eaten paste?

No, but when was a really little kid I used to eat my boogers. Sorry, I know that was disgusting, but this quiz is asking some rather odd things so I just thought I'd mention it.

68) Do you own a webcam?

I have one at work but do not own (or want) one of my own.

69) Have you ever stripped?

Every time I take a shower

70) Ever broke a bone?

In my foot. I was hanging up Venetian blinds after washing them and stepped off the bed. Now I just let the darn things get dirty - it's not worth it.

71) Are you religious?

I prefer to think of me as a spiritual person rather than a religious person.
I am actively involved in my church - but my "religious life" has a lot more to do with quiet, private introspection, sorting out of values, and striving to walk my talk.

72) Do you chat on AIM often?

The only AIM I know of is a toothpaste. Oh, my husband says there is also an herbicide called AIM. Other than that I am clueless.

73) Pringles or Lays?

Whatever is handy. Really, I'm not that fussy.

74) Have you ever broken someone's heart?

I've disappointed people plenty, most of all myself.

75) Rugrats or Doug?

Don' know anything about either. If it's TV, I don't watch it much.

76) Full House or The Brady Bunch?

See above

77) Do you like your high school guidance counselor?

My brief time in high school was a nightmare. I didn't like anybody or anything, least of all myself.

78) Has anyone ever called you fat?

A few years ago I was asked if I were pregnant when I wasn't. OUCH.

79) Do you have a birth mark?

Yes - a brown spot on the inside of my left thigh. When I was little I used to think it looked like an ape head. Actually, I have not even noticed it for a long long time. I wonder if it's still there.

80) Do you own a car?

2005 Ford Fiesta

81) Can you cook?

I am blessed with a husband who cooks, so I only VERY RARELY have to do this.
But I can make up a mean pan of chili rejenos when I am in the mood.

84) Money or love?

I've always heard it's just as easy to love a rich man as a poor one.

85) Do you have any scars?

Many, all over my heart. And a few on my body, but none that are all that interesting. Well, maybe the one on my mangled finger from the time I got my hand caught in a cotton gin.

86) What do you want more than anything right now?

For my kids to be happy, productive, healthy men with moral integrity.

87) Do you enjoy scary movies?

Absolutely not. I've had too many REAL scary experiences to enjoy the feeling for entertainment sake.

88) Relationships or one night stands?

25 years of monogamy and going strong.

90) Do you enjoy greasy food?

More than I should, apparently. See question #78

91) Have you seen all the Rocky movies?

I don't think I've ever seen ANY of them all the way through. Just bits and pieces while channel surfing.

92) Do you own a box of crayons?

Yep. The 64 pack. AND the big fat ones. Somewhere around here I think I still have the fluorescent ones. Crayons rock!

93) Who was the last person that said they loved you?

My handsome bearded husband.

94) Who was the last person that made you cry?

my own fear, although it may have been triggered by someone else's remark.

95) Who was the last person that made you laugh?

The question asks for a PERSON so I guess it doesn't count that I just laughed at my Basset Hound's snoring.

I've laughed several times today...It has been a good day. Don't really keep score of when and why. I just take it where I can get it.

97) Who was the last person that called you?

My cousin Gay.

And that's the quiz -- except for the mysterious missing Questions Numbers 5, 17, 61, 82, 83, and 96 that seem to be missing for some reason. Maybe someone cut those out because they didn't like or approve of them? Personally, if that were the case I think they should have cut out a few more. This is a pretty silly quiz!

But for what it is worth - there it is. Now I'm off to bed!