July | 2011 | Bluejacky: Existential Aspie

Month: July 2011

simple survey (epic winning!)

Basics
Name
I'm surprised that people actually think they need to fill this part out. This isn't a job application.

Birthday
I'm turning a half century old later this year. It's weird to think about how many people I knew or have heard of that never made it this far.

Hometown
This info is no longer sacred or valid if they can just rip an alt timeline into new Trek and make James T. Kirk born out in space instead of Iowa.

Height
People don't understand why I refused to rise to a number of various heights in my life, yet dare me to stoop to their levels. I hover at a happy medium.

Weight
42 pounds less than 6 months ago and holding. My sister says I've plateaued. I know it's really that I can't help having hot chocolate every day.

Style
I can easily pull off being the most unmatched person on the planet. J'adore throwing wild purple and pink paisley lounge pants with green or orange tees and blue striped footies, par example. Likewise, I can suddenly do super cool with my black paisley lounge pants trimmed in big black lace with my black Ghost Hunters tee and black sox. Notice the paisley theme keeps popping up. That's prolly my style.

eye color
It freaks me out to look too closely at my eyes. I've never been able to accurately describe the value and hue of the color I seem to see in the mirror because I don't look at them long enough to decide.

hair color
Plain. Very plain. I've often wondered why humans don't have variegated hair color like animals. You never see stripes, spots, or any other assorted color pattern on the human head.

Most overused phrase
Scott says I say "What are you doing?" too much, but when you have a virtual Tim the Toolman Taylor around, yeah, you tend to start asking before the explosions go off.

Tattoos
Tats don't impress me. I've seen old wrinkly guys with old army tattoos, the colors fade, the shapes change, you sprout moles and hairs and age spots all over them, and you never can make out what it was originally supposed to be. Likewise, I have a niece who prioritized getting really expensive full body tattoos and a self medicated lifestyle over keeping custody of her child, and it's hard not to see other women her age with tattoos and kids as making unhealthy choices, as well. Tattoos are probably a nice hobby for people who can afford them, or significant milestone markers in someone's life, but a couple generations down the road from us might look back on them as ridiculous forms of self expression. They certainly don't raise the overall look of one's IQ, and come across as a bling binge for the self absorbed. --that was very Daniel Tosh-ish. I think that Tosh marathon that I dvr'd earlier this month fried my brain.

Single or Taken
I have a mate, everyone just back off.

Favorites
Food
If we ever get taken as slaves by space aliens, do you think they'll create a generic dried kind of food for us like we feed to pets?

Actors
I've lately taken to following Wil Wheaton on twitter, but I'm really not terribly into actors. I think it's weird to do that.

Actresses
Also following Olivia Munn. Sorta still weirded out by the Amanda Tapping metamorphosis, but what the heck.

Music
Every time I hear speculation about what aliens must think of humans becoming more advanced when our tv and radio waves reach them, I laugh. There couldn't be a bigger quarantine in the universe than around the continual nonsense that shrouds our planet in sheer noise pollution. Just because we yap incessantly doesn't mean we're by any means smarter than we used to be. But if they do show up, I think Charlie Sheen should be our earth representative. That'll distract them for awhile.

Movies
The box office keeps me from believing our economy is in any real kind of trouble. When film makers no longer make millions or more back on movies, I will believe we are in dire straits. Likewise, all you gamers out there, we're depending on you to keep capitalism alive. By the way, how is it that The Mummy drifts around satellite channels more often than any other movie in the world?

Foreign Food
I really don't care to venture out and get terribly foreign on my palette. The World of Rare Food: Bird's Nest Soup When we start eating fried chicken combs and grilled dogs feet in the United States, I will believe our economy has tanked. Until then, you can't convince me anything eaten by the desperately poor for hundreds of years is delectable cuisine.

Language
This one. I've got the rules down pretty good, I think. Anyone else watch the national spelling bee on natgeo? I think I could have pulled off making it into the finals as a kid.

Foreign Country
I've always liked a quote that included the phrase "little bitty Latvia." Prolly got that from an old tv show called Misfits of Science. I also happened to have an anthropology professor who was born in Latvia. Funny how many people I run into who have no idea Latvia even exists. I think Latvia is a fun word to say.

Color
I tend to like very specific colors of blue. If you really really really wanna see, go to this chart and look for 3399FF, 00CCFF, and 3300FF. There are several extremely specific shades that aren't on that chart, and my two very fave shades can only be found on mountain bluebirds and embroidery thread, probably because a certain vibrancy won't translate over a monitor like it does in 3D.

Drink
Filtered water. Goes with anything.

Word
I get a kick out of poorly worded phrases. I passed a sign to a tiny church today that read "Overcoming Faith Church". Lotta things to overcome in this world- obesity, homelessness, faith...

Pet
My chickens love watermelon. We've hit 104-106 several times in the last week. And that's before the heat index.

Attractions
Eye Color
All my chickens have yellow eyes.

Hair Color
I'm not into matching flocks, I generally get 10 different breeds at the very least when I pick up new chicks.

Religion
Not into ANY organized religion. True religion is caring for widows and orphans (broken families) in their time of distress, put as simply as possible by the one guy who turned the religious world upside down. Guys wearing suits in churches don't do anything for me, nor do people in ceremonial robes or long beards or whatever they think makes them look more pious.

Height
Scott's the perfect height.

Age
This is silly.

Body type
Skinny nerd who can climb a ladder with an 80 pound stack of roofing tiles over one shoulder and can nimbly leap off the same ladder and land catlike while throwing a chainsaw clear after a big branch suddenly plunges from over-the-head one-handed sawing. And I didn't have to find him on a dating site, how about that.

Race
Used to always win, kinda hitting that wimpy middle age challenge. It's cute watching him croak off after a sprint.

Piercings
I've never seen anyone walk around with so many splinters under their fingernails, and he'd rather let them rot there than let me come at him with a needle. Fish hook in the face is a different story, just push it on through.

Tattoos
He works with ink all day, comes home discolored as it is, hates needles, so I guess it's more like a freestyle splash of art.

Shoe size
What is this obsession with shoe size? I think I've had this question several times lately.

Personality
Wild or Laid back
When everyone believes you are the best at keeping your cool, no one ever thinks it might be you who punked them.

Goofy or Serious-
Well, that 'guffy' spelling kinda brought out my serious spelling side. Other than correcting all the 'ei' 'ie' mixups, the spelling has been otherwise better than usual in this survey, so 'guffy' was a little surprising.

Hip Hop, Punk, Rock, or Country
New age, classical, baroque, Spanish... You can always tell a survey made by a young person in a typical middle class lifestyle.

Personal Views On
Sex
I'm so tired of hearing about everyone else's views on sex, I ~DON'T CARE~. Yes, that is my personal view on sex.

Relationships
Never assume a chicken isn't watching every move you make. You get good at chicken socialization, you have a friend for life. Which, in chicken years, isn't that long.

Cheating
I've never cheated in any game I've played. Ever. I have reverse cheated on tests because I knew the person copying off me would fail the test that way and I thought it was funny to see how many times they'd keep copying off me. You'd be surprised at how much faith people have in other people who 'look smart'.

Dating
I've never eaten a date. My dad used to think they were the bomb and he got a special sampler pack every Christmas.

Marriage
18 years of best friend coming up in August. My view on that is patience pays off more than being selfish does.

Children
Do you know how many baby chicks die because new chicken hobbyists don't have a clue what they're doing? I think people should have to pass a test before taking baby chicks home.

Religion
Do a little digging, betcha have no clue how many new religions have been started by freemasons.

The Opposite Sex
I like variety. So glad the world isn't all one kind or sex.

Love
No greater love has a person than to sacrifice for a friend. Unless you're a fool and let people just walk all over you because you're needy and they're dysfunctional and mean. Sometimes love means standing up to the people giving you crap, like when the neighbor's dog chases my chickens. I love my neighbor enough to warn them I'll shoot their dog next time. And sometimes the best love is just leaving other people alone instead of bugging them. Everybody needs a day off.

Turns out this survey wasn't so simple.

LifeSurvey Generated at QuizAsk.com
- 8:37 pm
- Comments Off
odd questions survey

Are your parents married or divorced?:
Lead in with one of them being croaked off already... good way to start a survey.

Are you a vegetarian?:
I eat a big salad every day full of all kinds of funky goodies, like artichokes and radishes and cauliflower and olives and green onions, and then I top it off with cajun turkey and parmesan cheese. ~*~awesome~*~ (you have to sing that in a really high voice)

Do you believe in Heaven?:
I'm really hoping it's way better than people generally imagine it, because I would be bored to tears. I've had a few dreams where I'm looking for people, I presume we've all died, and I eventually find them. One dream I had after my granddad died, and he wanted to let me know something, ok, wait, I'll just tell you the whole thing.

Preface this with the knowledge that back then I survived several years of fairly severe SVT attacks, and that my grandfather had died after years of heart disease and several heart surgeries. So in the dream I found myself in a big lobby in what I couldn't tell might be a giant hotel or bank or something. Everything was *pristine*. I was by myself and didn't know any of the people walking by talking to each other. I saw a row of phones and thought I'd call my mom. There was no coin slot, so I started dialing. I couldn't get a number dialed out to save my life (never can do numbers in my dreams) and finally just hung up. Turned around just in time to see my grandfather whisk by like he didn't see me. I tried to follow him and kept losing him, wound up in a super nice beautiful salon that wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. Roomy, bright, open, kids playing quietly, happy people getting hair and nails done, no loud noise (my grandmother was always in a dress and jewelry, even when she lay on a couch with cancer, so this didn't surprise me). I looked at one of the hair drying chairs, and without warning, my grandfather popped his face out from behind a newspaper and poked his tongue out at me, giggled like a maniac, and took off like a leprechaun, and the chase was on again. I'd never seen him like this, like the world was a really fun place to be. We wound up running back out the lobby and down a few steps, and I've gotta say, the street was immaculate. No cars, no dust or dirt, the sidewalks were beautiful, everything was just stunningly beautiful. And there was my grandfather, laying on one of the steps with his eyes closed, and a lily in his clasped hands. I knelt down, very concerned (didn't even realize in my dream he'd already died), and he suddenly snapped his eyes open and winked at me and said in my ear "It's not going to kill you!" Then grinned real big and took off dancing like a leprechaun down the street. And I woke up and knew he meant my tachycardia. I had surgery later on and have been fine since.

If you'd known my grandfather, this dream would knock you over. During his life I knew him as an impatient kind of sour man, with a short temper, and he liked to spank little kids. He even chased my brother once with the intention of spanking him and got super ticked that he never could catch him. But he also liked board games, and I have memories of many holiday games with him humming church hymns and saying "Pitiful, pitiful" as he beat us every time. I found out years later he suffered from migraines and depression, and I'm sure it didn't help being a tax agent. When I had that dream, I think every bit of it came from him and his impression of what a wonderful world would be like. Other dreams I've had of any afterlife were never inside a city like that, although that one was pretty cool. I usually wind up where the food is, so it's not a reach that one of my 'heaven' dreams was about feeling really content after I'd searched and searched for my sister and finally found her turning food on a grill outside on a big lawn with a lot of other people hanging around, like a summer get together.

Whatever Heaven really is, I'm pretty sure it'll be a lot more interesting than my life now.

Have you ever come close to dying?:
Actually, several times. I could make a list, but I've already given you a nice, long story.

What jewelry do you wear 24/7?:
My glasses. Nothing else. I used to have over 100 pairs of earrings, and they were so cool. I have given them all away. This is true. I had been very sick for a number of years and various kindhearted people asked if I'd tried praying for healing. I'm not the sort to be that vain, figured we're here to learn and deal with what we're given. But I did finally reach a point where it looked like I'd never get better, and I'd gotten so bad I was practically immobile and had such terrible brain fog that I could barely shop for food. So I thought about it. If I pray for healing, it can't be for selfish reasons. How many people pray for healing and keep smoking or drinking or binging on junk food or whatever, right? So after I thought real good, I did pray for healing, so that I could be good for other people, instead of a drag. Everything in my body exploded, wound up in the ER 4 times, long story short, lotta meds got dropped, new discoveries were made, I completely uprooted and revamped my diet out of desperation (couldn't take the diabetes meds), and next thing you know, I'm shedding pounds and my brain comes back on and my entire world went from black to less and less gray. And of course, you think, Oh, all I had to do was change my diet, so who knows if it was really the praying for healing, right? And then my earring holes closed up... When I was young and first pierced my ears, my dad got upset. He said I should never desecrate my body. Oh, well, so I liked earrings. And for 25 years I never had a problem with those holes closing up. Until I prayed for healing. They closed *right up*. And I'm not going to push it. I gave away all my earrings.

Oh, yeah, other jewelry.  Bracelets make my arms itch, rings bother me too much, and necklaces pull my hair. And I found out when I got staples in my knee I have allergic reactions to titanium. So as much as I like jewelry and think it's really cool, I never wear it any more.

Are you eating?:
I'm ~always~ eating. At least it seems like it. But I'm a nibbler, usually less than 200 calories at a time, and I do that all day long. That's the coolest way to cut calories, seriously feel like I eat all day long.

Do you eat the stems of broccoli:
I've seen rabbits turn away from that stuff, don't know why some humans think pure cellulose makes a nutritious filler.

Do you wear makeup?:
I tried for years. Finally accepted I'm just too allergic to everything. But I have a nice tradeoff. No one believes I'm about to turn 50. Sweeeeet. I don't have wrinkles yet, thanx to a super sun allergy. I stay indoors.

Would you ever have plastic surgery?:
I bet burn and other accident victims really hate the shallow thinking behind questions like this.

What do you wear to bed?:
I cover up and wear sox because I really get sick of being walked on. So a stupid spider scuttles across my *face*, and I come awake like a cat being shocked.

Have you ever done anything illegal?:
Like I'm going to confess on a public blog. What worries me is how many people I've met in my life who have done things way more illegal than me and they think it's funny. Good on them, go over there and leave me alone because I don't trust you around my pockets...

Can you roll your tongue?:
Amazing how you can get a roomful of strangers to suddenly participate in finding these things out.

Do You have a boyfriend or girlfriend?:
Scott is the kind of guy who would die before he'd wear a powder blue t-shirt, so he's a MANLY manfriend.

Do you believe in Abortions?:
I believe far too many women are used as convenient objects, and that this is far too easy a fix for a variety of abuses, ignorance, and not wanting to take responsibility. Before you throw a rock, I've had an abortion. I have very deep feelings over the waste in our society because our emotions, lifestyles, and beliefs are so easily manufactured and commercialized to the masses. Plus the pressure is incredible if you come from family that chooses judgement over kindness. Point blank, he had a career to protect and a mother who would slice his world into ribbons. Now that I'm as old as I am, I see that as no excuse. I really wish I'd told someone and gotten some emotional support before it came to that. I was so terribly naive, I really thought I was doing the noble thing for him. Now I see he was a coward, and there was no love lost when he abruptly fled afterward. Wouldn't mind getting an apology sometime in my life. Or at the very least that picture of me in the Planet of the Apes Halloween mask I've asked for. He probably threw it away.

What is your Hair color?:
By the time my mom was my age (49 3/4) her hair was all gray. The only white I have at all is a few strands on one temple, and you only see them when they catch the light.  I'll probably be one of those people who suddenly goes white headed overnight.

Future child's name, boy and girl?:
I've been toying with a list of names in case I get another flock of chickens going in the next couple of years, but by the time I get them I'll probably pick different names.

Do you smoke?:
Found out on x-rays that my lungs have been scarred for years, and I asked a pulmonologist about it since I had smoked very heavily for about a year in my younger days, and he said that particular scaring is fungal infection from the local soils, you see it a lot in this area. Other areas have different kinds of fungus in their soils and scar differently in the lungs. Wow. Ok, stop... They obsess about people smoking, they freak about people sunburning, but no one EVER says Hey, be careful running around outside and gardening and doing construction, you might get a fungal infection that'll scar your lungs up...

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?:
I would love to go to one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants, maybe the one in Vegas.

Do you sleep with stuffed animals?:
Can't tell you how many times I wake up and a spider or some other bug is snuggling with me. In this whole big house, all the places they could sit around, they spot the heated body glowing in the dark and make a beeline.

If you won the lottery, what would you do first?:
Scott says we'll dole out a little obligatory money to family members and then disappear. I think the first thing I'd do is hire full time staff to cater to my every whim.

Gold or Silver?:
Gold detailing is cool, but I'm not ostentatious enough to draw that much attention. I know people who drip with gold all over their bodies, and I think they're just silly. I think it's more sophisticated to go Navajo and do the big silver stuff.

Hamburger or hot dog?:
Kraut dog, minus the bun.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?:
Guacamole. Hey, you didn't say one food item or that I couldn't mix it up first.

City, beach or country?:
Blue Bird Wanderlodge Motor Coach. Blue Bird Wanderlodge and Motor Coach Brokering Service I've always thought it would be cool to live on the road.

What was the last thing you touched?:
I got stuff out of the freezer to thaw. Ye know not what.

Where did you eat last?:
Wouldn't you rather know that I had deviled eggs for breakfast? And they were goooooood.

When's the last time you cried?:
Lately a few tears roll about the same time every afternoon. I think my body is still doing some renovating after all the weight loss and is dumping toxic waste.

Do you read blogs?:
Read this one just a few minutes ago. STS-135… Rain Keep in mind that I don't post surveys in real time, they can take several days (or even longer) to finish. I actually read that blog within minutes of it being posted because I'm a space junkie nerd, have had the NASA channel on since 3 a.m. watching them get ready to launch.

Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?:
I remember when the only selection in jeans were men's jeans, and they weren't even called men's jeans because no one thought to gender them when they first came out. When women's jeans came out I hated them because I couldn't find any to fit me right (and I actually had a good figure), so I just stuck to men's jeans for years.

Ever been involved with the police?:
A policeman drove me home after he pulled me over, because I'd taken medication that made me super sleepy. I thought that was pretty cool of him.

What's your favorite shampoo/conditioner and soap?:
Scott uses a handful of shampoo for 1/2 inch long hair. Even when my hair was 3 feet long I didn't use that much.

Do you talk in your sleep?:
I sometimes wake myself up trying to, but I never know what I was wanting to say.

Ocean or pool?:
Lake would be nice. We have a few around here.

What's your favorite song at the moment:


Have you ever had a cavity?
Nearly every tooth in my head. And it didn't have anything to do with eating sweets or not having fluoride or not flossing. Had everything to do with stress, medications, and a nervous system disorder.

Window seat or aisle seats?:
If you can drug me and drag me on board, I think I might enjoy a window seat. I'm not into a lot of talking.

Ever met anyone famous?:
They've met me.

Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life?:
I've managed to stay incognito. If I ever disappear, you'll know I failed.

Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?:
I avoid spaghetti.

What is your favorite sport to play?:
Scott won't let me have a nerf gun to take to family functions.

Basketball or football?:
Basketball is like baseball squeezed into a tiny space and on high speed. I have no respect for either one. Football is a party sport, I dig it.

When was the last time you went to the bathroom?:
It is NOT cool to feel someone crawl right down your hip to jump off and you can't do anything about it. This morning it was a giant ant with wings. I found it later in the kitchen. Bet it rode in last night on Scott from mowing the grass.

Do you drive a stick?:
Wound up getting cortisone shots in my knee after stick shifting a little Nissan pickup for a couple years.

Are you self-conscious?:
I had no clue what that even was till I read about it. And then it took a few years for me to figure out. Conscious of my *self*... I never was one of those people who has to look in a mirror.

Have you ever given money to a bum?:
Sux when you give $100 to a family member who swears they'll come over and help you do chores and they never show up.

Have you been in love?:
I'm nearly over my Radek Zelenka phase (surprisingly lasted about a year) and moving back into guacamole and crab cakes. Being in love is very complicated for me.

Where do you wish you were?:
In the parallel dimension where I own a summer home up north and I have servants bringing me my mail and good things to eat.

Who is the 1st person your top 8?:
Do people really still myspace? I don't know what's wrong with mine, but my blog over there is so mangled I can't get it to link, it's like it doesn't exist or something. Really sick of Tom jacking things around. Xanga needs a legendary figure that everyone can dump on like that.

Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?:
Gah, don't even get me started. Can't tell you how I loathe being transported during my most stressful moments. You lay so that you are traveling backwards, every stop and turn puts a G force on your whole body (THAT sux when your blood pressure is popping), you get super disoriented because you can't tell what direction you're going, and about the time you think you're going to be carsick for a week they finally pull in and unload in the freezing cold or whatever, and by the time you get to a room you just wanna crawl home and die in a quiet corner. And then you get the bill.

Can you tango?:
Sauce winds up *everywhere*. If you don't want to wipe it up, don't tango with me.

Last gift you received?:
Scott pulled up a big load of fresh garlic for me a few days ago, bless his heart.

What occasion did you receive your gift?:
I whined incessantly for days that I was out of garlic and that I'd go pick it myself if he didn't. He doesn't like me controlling his garlic bed.

Last thing you spent lots of money on?:
I spend very little money on stuff. I got the full 10 season Stargate SG-1 collection for $80, brand new. Scott tried to tell me Netflix would be cheaper, but after you count out the viewing hours and time you have per month and add the months up, comes up to the same price. And if I own them, I can watch them again for free. How about that. Someday I'll be laying in a nursing home watching Stargate and all the residents will think I'm cool.

Where do you live?:
In a bubble floating on pure chaos.

Last wedding attended?:
I have never witnessed a more hilarious disintegration of in-law relations that is about to crescendo than over the upcoming wedding of my step kid. I'm just staying out of everything and hoping I never feel conflicted over the supernova that will pinnacle everything I've ever suffered in this marriage for the good of the child. The piranhas are eating their own, and after all the backstabbing from all sides that I've learned to duck and cover from, it's a pleasure watching it all backfire now onto the princess who thought she was immune. And I'm not a mean person, I just think it's about time the indignant father got a real inkling what his wife went through all these years. Perspective makes all the difference.

Favorite restaurant?:
I am loathe to choose only one fave.

What is your favorite kind of car?:
New. I never had a new car in my life until last summer. Sweeeet.

Most hated food(s):
Must I think about them? I don't care to waste the time dredging up this kind of negativity.

Most loved food(s)?:
The kind that mix well together, like avocados, lemon, spring onions, and garlic. Super combo.

Can you sing?:
In my younger days I could do a pretty fair imitation of Weird Al.

Person on your mind?:
Not a soul. I'm sorta staring off at a candle I lit awhile ago, very soothing.

What's your least favorite chore(s):
Back with that negativity thing again, but I'll go with cleaning up after a spoiled arrogant teenager. My life has been so nice since she grew up and moved out. Smelly volleyball shoes left on top of the coffee table, thongs tossed at the edge of the kitchen floor because she was too lazy to carry them a few more steps to the washing machine, stupid lizards and baby mice and crickets chirping through three Christmases, yeah, I think following behind her was my least favorite chore. *Now* she lives in a spectacularly clean house because her fiance is a neat freak and has developed the association with that making her a better person because her house is clean and other people's aren't. Note of interest: She worked at a theme park one summer with girls who job exchanged from Hong Kong, and brought them all by the house without warning one week when I was sick. They took pictures of ~everything~, my pile of dirty dishes, my pile of laundry, my unmade bed, the stack of papers on the table, everything in my house went over satellite to emails and websites to their friends in Hong Kong. I'm biding my time. One day I will go over to her house after she's had a baby and is having a really rough week and start taking pictures...

Favorite drink?:
I dumped hot chocolate ~all over~ this keyboard yesterday. And it's still working. I'm magical.

How long was your longest drive in a car?:
My parents used to pick us up after school on the last day before a holiday, we'd have to lay down in the station wagon because the back seats were all folded down, and we'd have to change into our pajamas and spend the next 17 hours being carsick. Any kind of traveling still makes me very sick.

Why do you do Myspace surveys?:
If you do these correctly, you don't have to spend extra money on a psychologist.

Do you know who Nick Tyo is?:
I don't care.

Survey Generated at <a href="http://quizask.com/">QuizAsk.com</a>
- 1:34 pm
- Comments Off
about me survey

When was the last time you had popcorn and watched a movie at home?
I had one piece of popcorn two nights ago. I also had part of a movie.

How many alarm clocks do you use?
None. I'm usually awake before anyone else, no matter what time it is. I can also usually say what time is on the clock before I ever look at it. I have no way of explaining this. Scott thinks I'm creepy.

What or who first got you into myspace?
I followed family onto all web hosting. I thought it would be a good way to stay in touch. I was wrong.

How loud do you play music when you drive?
Apparently not as loud as anyone else around me on the road.

What size shoe do you wear?
Now see, THAT is a mystery. I noticed my shoes were getting looser about halfway through the 40 pounds I lost. I just figured it was water retention. But now my feet slide backward and forward when I walk, and I guess I'll have to get sized before I buy another pair of shoes.

Is it the same size when you wear sandals?
I was just thinking I haven't had sandals in awhile, maybe this is a good year to pick some up.

Have you ever been out of the country?
I've been to Mexico briefly, twice. Would love to go back. In a parallel world where drug cartels don't exist.

Where would you travel to if you could hop on a plane right now?
I would have to be drugged and carried onto a plane, but Scott says one day I'm going to either Florida or Hawaii on a plane.

How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night?
I ~would~ pick this survey after waking up at 2 a.m. and never getting back to sleep...

Are you a morning person or a night person?
Both, it seems.

Have you ever been too scared to make the first move?
Scott killed a huge wolf spider in the basement this morning. I was too afraid to even go down there, let alone make the first move.

Did you end up missing out?
Thankfully, yes. I'm not a puker, but big crumpled spider bodies set off a gag reflex that won't quit.

How do you determine whether or not someone is compatible with you?
They kill big spiders for me. I'll tolerate a lot out of a person for that.

How long does it take you to discover this upon first meeting them?
As soon as the spider shows up.

Which do you prefer: hicks or bikers?
Turned out a biker kills the spiders, so here we are. Married 18 years in August. He sold the bike though, poor guy, nothing can fill that void.

Would you ever consider climbing Mt. Everest?
No, I let the other people risk their lives 'conquering' the mountain. I conquer it from afar on my tv.

Have you ever been called a tease?
Only once, and I threw a punch. I can't flirt to save my life, so that guy was asking for it.

Are you a good kisser?
Is this before or after he got his dentures? Sometimes you get a big game changer.

Do you believe there is life out in the galaxy(ies)?
Heck, there could be life between the galaxies and we'd never know. I don't think life necessarily has to be corporeal.

Are you allergic to anything?
Everything. Don't touch me.

Which is better: sugar or honey?
Sugar is better in hot chocolate and coffee, but I've eaten gallons of honey in my lifetime. I've stop that since I found out I'm diabetic, though.

Love or Money?
Money gets me a crab cake dinner with asparagus at Ruby Tuesday. Love kills big bad spiders for me. What the heck, I'll take both.

Children or a successful career?
I made a successful career of successfully raising my kids. In fact, I walked away from a career in resource planning to do that, and I don't regret it.

Mountains or the Beach?
I grew up in mountains and then fell in love with the beach. No need to choose, just enjoy the wondrous variety.

Bonfires or fireplace?
A fireplace precludes having to hang out in the weather and bugs and can keep going even when you want to fall asleep.

Would you ever go sky diving?
If my plane was going down, I'd have no problem with it.

What is your biggest fear?
Seriously, that nasty big spider. My fear is irrational and all consuming, and I will hurt people and break things to avoid facing it.

Is there any way you could possibly prevent it from happening?
Just don't go down in the basement.

Do you prefer gum or mints?
I haven't had either one in so long I'm not sure I'd even enjoy them any more.

Cameras or video cameras?
I'm cranky at both. And my phone camera. I can't get a single one of them to pick up the color deep hot pink correctly.

Can you type fast?
Yeah, but then you can't read it.

Where did you learn how to type?
High school, on a typewriter. The brown cow jumps over the lazy dog. Kids I know nowadays keyboard with two index fingers and text with two thumbs. One day we'll have implants and only have to think it.

Do you prefer going to the beach at night or going for a joyride at night?
I stay in my house at night. Scott has me trained to fall asleep by 9 because he gets up around 3 or 4 to go to work.

Pens or pencils?
Keyboard. But pens if I have to resort to my barbaric henscratch.

Blue or black ink?
Been using a green one lately.

Do you enjoy sushi (with or without the raw fish)?
Never tried it, but it looks cool.

If your house was on fire & you could save only one thing/item from your room, what would it be?
I'm old. The first thing I'd grab is my thyroid and blood pressure pills. Photo albums aren't worth risking my life. If it's not already in my purse, it's not vital to my existence.

Which parental figure do you respect more: your mom or dad?
I had to stop at this one yesterday and see if an answer popped up later. I'm not sure what I have or feel for either of my parents is/was respect. I have very little respect, actually, but not because they were bad people. More like ignoramously neglectful of their children having feelings and stuff. And I don't mean because they were too busy or selfish, but because each of them had brains with complex problems that made it difficult for them to see outside their own little boxes, even though they were pretty smart at times. I can see ~now~ how this all works and that it was not their faults and that they really did try, but it took many years to understand it and forgive them. Out of your curiosity, my dad very obviously has Asperger's to the point of severely annoying people, and my mom suffered clinical depression that ran back at least 4 documented generations in her family, and somehow she managed to twist it into munchausen by proxy. I had a weird childhood. So, no, not respect.

Why did you choose them over the other?
Since I've never seen this respect for which parent question on a survey before, I'm suspecting this survey creator was going through a difficult time with parents.

Why is the ocean blue?
I'm trying so hard... It's impossible not to wind up psyche analyzing survey creators. We get the big respect parents question, then we get this 180 into your basic curious child question. (If you really want to know why the ocean is blue, type the question into a search bar, you'll get all kinds of wordy science stuff.) So this looks like an indicator that the survey creator might have a real problem with the parent thing, and instead of actually dealing with it, simply slaps the question out on a survey and then whirls away into very nonemotional questioning as a recoil. Kinda thought I'd make it through a survey this time. Oh, well.

Who really invented the internet?
See what I mean? Nonemotional, no personal investment, a trick to steer us away from the fact that the survey creator accidentally hit his or her own sore spot while creating a survey. Actually, my opinion is that survey creating is the ultimate in identifying what's eating Gilbert Grape, if you will.

Are you allergic to any type of food?
Now we ease back into something personal. Yes, I do have to stay away from nuts. (a pointed jab, for those who get the double entendre)

Do you prefer rap or rock music?
Why did you leave out the plethora of other music genres that I might prefer over these two? I'm feeling kinda cranky after being jerked around with the parent question.

Which movie(s) do you prefer: Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter?
>:?(    Still cranky. Like both of these, but the books are better in both cases. I'm a purist.

Pop Quiz: Is the U.S. currency backed by gold? (don't look it up you dork!)
Oh, here we go. Now I have to squelch a lecture about the way I believe our economy is being prepared for complete collapse so we can be flipped into digital currency, and after that gold will be 'worthless' as a paper money standard. (look it up, you dork)
The Switch from Wealth to Debt | WealthMoney.org
The Technology Revolution and Monetary Evolution
Heavy reading, I know, but paper money has been on the way out for a long time, and e-currency is perfect for that. I'm not going to be surprised, though, if down the road this evolves into a full credit system and the words money and cash wind up being dropped, and one's worth in currency is dependent on one's 'credits', whether earned or handed out. I think it's going to be terribly easy to wipe out the old system once the national smart grid is established and something bad happens (blame an act of terrorism, solar flares, space aliens, EMP, whatever) and all our electronic systems crash, and the only way to salvage our economy is for the govt to hand out food and housing 'credit' to every citizen, basically the start of equalizing us all. From there forward, all buying and selling will be completely digital once they get the grid back up, which could take months.

Just sayin'. I think the whole push to 'buy gold' is a scam to get your money before this all goes down. I mean, the gold just sits there, you can't really do anything with it, and who is going to buy it back? With money you have power to feed yourself. They take away your power and give you a little bit of gold, then they use your money to exchange for other stuff, because they know what's coming. If gold really were the salvation of our monetary system, why are they advertising so hard to get rid of it themselves?

Why aren't American's actively seeking alternate means of energy for transportation? (other than petroleum)
They are, you nit. Water powered cars have been a big deal since the 1800's, but the inventors keep getting squeezed out (sometimes literally).
Water Car Inventors
water powered cars
Japanese Company Invents Water Fueled Car
By the way, let's lay off assumptions about Americans, ok? Why has no one else in the world solved the problem, either?

Do you prefer the Jetson's or the Flintstones?
Jetsons, an American family using alt powered flying vehicles and robots. We inspired the world to dream.

The Simpson's or Family Guy?
I cringe in horror that these are my only two choices.

Full House or Family Matters?
I tore my eyes out years ago over those, thank God kids grow up.

Salute your Shorts or Legends of the Hidden Temple?
Easter Eggin.

Xena: Warrior Princess or Hercules?
Gabrielle or Iolaus. What the heck, I'll take Joxer.

What is your favorite dog bred?
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! *gasp* Wow, what some people would give for spell check if they only knew.

Are you afraid of reptiles?
I love watching my chickens chase critters around. Modern dinosaurs at their best. Jaizzy can chunk down an 8 inch garden snake. You've never laughed until you've seen a frog do getaway hops in super speed, or a lizard make a chicken turn fast tight circles till it's dizzy.

What is, in your opinion, your best physical attribute?
So far this year, my left upper eyelid.

Do you think you have a good sense of humor?
I know I do, because other people often want to shoot me and throw rocks.

What makes you unique?
I think everyone has the time thing wrong. It's not a single dimension, it's not linear, it's not a smear of dimensions that can run in alt directions, it's not an illusion, it's not even a dissectible entity that is either preexistent on its own or completely dependent on the processes of the space we live in. I think time is more like a macrame, fragmenting, intertwining, weaving throughout our existence in a way that would explain parallel worlds and p-branes. But since I can't do the math, we just have to be satisfied that the quantum level of our awareness is about all possible worlds meticulously converging in beautiful loops and curves as we interface our observations with others, from the lowliest life form to other beings we know not yet of. Which brings up the whole philosophical debate about sharing this 3D medium with other observers and the definition of reality, but I won't go there.

If you could change one thing you did/did not do TODAY, what would it be and why?
It's still early enough in the day, nothing comes to mind. Maybe later this afternoon an epiphany will grind me to a halt with heavy regret, but for now I'm lighthearted and carefree. Oh, wait- that's right, I'm not the sort of person who regrets and wishes to change things.

Have you ever played Texas Hold'em?
I don't have that kind of patience, like mind games in slo-mo.

Do you enjoy sports? If so, what is your TOP favorite sport to play or watch?
This is about the most boring question on surveys. My fave sport to play is toying with people's minds because no one will play chess or badminton with me. My fave sports to watch are the Triple Crown and all those crazy youtube extreme sport disaster vids. I really miss pro football during spring and summer, but I'm not into it enough to be like a cheesehead or anything, like my mother-in-law. I think I'm more into it for the weekly party/food ritual than anything.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I answered something like this in a survey back in '06, weird how I remember that, but now it's five years later, right? I'm in a way better place in my life than I ever dreamed I'd be. So in another 5 years, who knows. Maybe I'll be rich and able to travel.

Survey Generated at http://quizask.com/
- 11:58 am
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bluejacky

I've started transferring my survey posts over to Surveypalooza so people coming in from search engines on mobile devices will be able to see the surveys.

Apologies for the missing vids, another upgrade during the server migration swept through like a scan sweeping through the Enterprise. I'll fix those later, kinda busy...