20 Questions: August 24, 2009

1. Where were you last week at this time?
same spot. right here at my desk.

2. What’s your favorite way to eat tomatoes?
oh let me count the ways... i ♥ tomatoes. i like them by the handful (in the grape tomato size). i like them on a tomato sandwich with a little salt & some mayo. i like them in salads & as sauce. i love them as bruschetta. but i think my very favorite way? caprese bites.


3. Ok, let's be honest. How often do you use your turn signals when you drive? Do you follow the rules or do you only use it when you feel it's necessary?
OMG holy pet peeve. i *hate* when people use a turn signal like it was an option they couldn't justify paying extra for when purchasing their current vehicle. i use my turn signal every time i turn, every time i change lanes, every time i get off a highway exit--even if i am the only vehicle on the road. i do it from such force of habit that, sometimes, i even turn it on when pulling into my parking spot at home. this way? i can rail without being a hypocrite when people move into my lane RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME without so much as a single blink of their signal that they intend to cut me off & take over my lane as if they have more right to be there than i do.

4. This past week, were you more predator or prey?
i was pretty much going along, minding my own business all together, until someone preyed on my Sunday & pretty much shot it all to hell for me.

5. What is the first tv show quote to pop into your head right now?
"Did she get off the plane? Let her off the plane, Lady! LET HER OFF THE PLANE!!!" "I got off the plane."

6. Next time I go to church:
it will be a Communion Sunday.

7. What was your third grade teacher's name?
took me a minute or two to recall. that's right. Mrs Murphy. the first teacher to really scare me. we would get called on at random & have to recite a multiplication table from one all the way up to twelve (you know, 3x1=3, 3x2=6, 3x3=9, etc) and if you got more than two wrong, you had detention to practice. we've discussed, at length, that in Dawnsworld, numbers are the work of Satan, so you just imagine how that made little third-grade-Dawn feel. =P

8. When was the last time you went grocery shopping? Name 3 things you bought.
that would be yesterday. linguine. a tomato. crackers.

9. What would the title of your autobiography be?
"Are We There Yet?" (the title i have frequently considered changing the name of this blog to, except for the fact that for nearly five years now, it's been "thoughts from along the broken road" and there is something to be said for continuity.)

10. How many pieces of unopened mail are sitting wherever you put your unopened mail?
two. a credit card statement to be reviewed & filed and a credit card application to be shredded.

11. What 5 emotions do you feel most often?
gratitude. joy. loneliness for the special people i don't get to see often enough. frustration. contentment.

12. If you got a new pet right now, what would you name it?
it depends. boy pet? girl pet? before settling on Casey for my last pup, i toyed around with Baxter. i also think Maggie is a great pet-name for a girl pup (even though it's pretty common). i think i would have to meet the pet first.

13. Admit something. Anything.
i don't know what the hell i'm doing half the time.

14. Choose a free gift: a daily back massage, dinner at a restaurant once a week, or a brand new book each month.
dinner out. i am not a fan of letting a complete stranger get all up in my personal space (no matter how professional they are) and i am not sure i could come up with a book i want to actually own (i only own the ones i really love, otherwise i would be overrun with books). dinner out once a week is something i could live with though!

15. Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
corn. a big bag of tilapia. Blackberry Cobbler Blue Bell ice cream.

16. If given the chance and you could pick the person, would you want to switch lives with someone on earth for one whole day?
no way. i think my life is pretty amazing, truth be told, and i wouldn't want to blindsided with someone else's problems & have to deal with them.

17. How much cash do you usually carry with you?
each payday, i take out enough cash to replenish my supply to around $100 (give or take, as close as i can get it, since i can only withdraw in increments of $20). i buy almost everything--including groceries--with cash, because i think it makes me more conscious of where my money is going. it's a lot more difficult for me to hand over cold hard cash when i make a purchase, rather than mindlessly swiping my debit card & penciling some numbers into my check register, where money feels so ambiguous. the $100 has to last me the entire week (a self-imposed limit for groceries, incidentals, whatever; i do use my debit card for gas so i don't have to go inside and i do allow myself more when i am travelling, but that's budgeted separately)...and you know what? since implementing this plan, i have *never* run out. i always have money left in my wallet.

18. How are you today?
pretty good for a Monday. i was borderline 'meh' but then i got a lil bit o' happy in my mail!

19. What's the scariest weather situation you've experienced?
the three hurricanes that came through my area in 2004. New Englanders don't really know what a *real* hurricane is actually like. trust me. i didn't til i experienced them firsthand.

20. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how attractive do you think you are?
ehh... 6? 7, maybe? i think i am pretty average, really. i don't think i am scary-ugly, but there are *tons* of prettier, cuter, more beautiful people out there.