That's My Answer

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My answers for 06/18/2008:

Where are you going Wednesday?

Just staying home and working today.

I’ve returned from vacation in Door County, which is on the Wisconsin penninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Anyhow, normally That’s My Answer runs smoothly while I’m gone, however this time, I had so much to do prior to leaving that I figured I’d take care of the site once I got there, and then I discovered that if I wanted to take advantage of the wifi I’d have to plug in next to the soda machine on the sidewalk – by the parking lot. And I’m not exactly opposed to sharing an outlet with a soda machine, but in all honesty, I did not want to look that desperate to get on the internet. So tell me, would you have plugged in next to the soda machine? Or would you have been able to go offline for five days?

I would have been able to go offline. I generally don't do the internet when I'm away from home.

What three things do you have to do today?

Get Husband's laundry done. Get crock pot going for dinner. Get some mending done.

Do you use Technorati? What about Stumble?

I've come across the name Technorati before, but not Stumble. I'm not sure what they are, but assume it's something on the internet.

What kind of education did you get? Did you go to public schools? Private schools? Were you home schooled? What is your opinion the education that is available to kids today?

I graduated from high school and business college. I went to public schools, but the business college was private. I don't think public education today is as good as it was when I was a kid, which wasn't as good as when my parents were kids, which wasn't as good as when my grandparents were kids, etc. I'm not sure what to do about it, but I think basics (three R's) need to be stressed primarily, and teachers need to be held more accountable, such as taking and passing examinations themselves to ensure competence and perhaps only earning raises and bonuses based upon their students' abilities to demonstrate mastery of skills more like in my grandparents' or great-grandparents' day.

My answers for 06/19/2008:

Will you or won't you...

• Dance today? Will. Husband and I 'dance' every time dance-able music comes on the TV--he while lying on the floor and me while sitting on the couch. We try to outdo each other with our dance moves.
• Leave the breakfast dishes to drain? Generally the children do the dishes, and I would LOVE it if they actually got the breakfast dishes washed and into the drainer before lunch!
• Finish the newspaper crossword this evening? Won't--don't get a newspaper.
• Wish upon the next star you see? Won't.

If you were on Top Chef and were competing in a Quick Fire Challenge where you had to quickly whip up something from your kitchen, what would you quickly whip up?

I can't remember how long they have in a Quick Fire Challenge, but I'm thinking it's 30 minutes or at most 1 hour. I'd probably do Tuna a la King (aka Creamed Tuna) on toast points (as my sister would call them).

If you had a happy box to pass around, what “trinket” to remind you of a better time/place/memory would you put into it?

Something I made for my babies to remind me of those precious days.

What is your favorite expression?

"Okay, fine."

My answers for 06/20/2008:

Today is my birthday! Today I’m off of work and will be spending the day with my daughter. When is your birthday and what do you like to do on your birthday?

Mine is in March, and I don't take the day off unless it happens to fall on one of my normal days off. Husband and kids gift me and do cake and ice cream, and extended family members call or send cards/gifts or email. I enjoy all of that and can't think of anything else in particular I would like to do.

Ghostbusters is hiring, will you be applying for the job?

Nope.

Who was your favourite character on Sesame Street when you were growing up? Or … if you didn’t watch it when you were growing up - is there a character who you adore who’s on Sesame Street now?

I liked those Martian creatures and the sounds they made to each other.

Do you play an instrument? On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) how good are you?

Piano-6. Flute-4.

My answers for 06/21/2008:

You’ve been given 3 parachutes, but there are 4 characters who need them. Who will you not give one to: Big Bird? Ernie? Oscar the Grouch? Count von Count? (Of course, all 4 of them are up really super duper high in the air, and the parachute is truely the only way to save them.)

Definitely Count von Count. Never liked him, very boring.

What chocolate do you always leave in the box?

Any piece with coconut in it.

If I sent you to the store to buy me a bottle of wine, what kind would you buy?

Some kind of red wine.

Have you ever considered changing careers?

I've dreamed about it, but never seriously considered it.

How about everyone’s favorite fun fact? You could narrow it down to favorite animal fact or favorite history fact, etc.

I recently read that the reason optical illusions are optical illusions is because we actually see into the future for some miniscule space of time.

My answers for 06/22/2008:

What is your favorite quote? and why is it your favorite?

"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself." It's my favorite because it is so true. We need to listen to those who've gone before us.

If you had to fly an airplane, could you?

I'm assuming that the reason I'd have to fly an airplane would be because everyone else on the plane was dead or incapacitated. In that case, I'd do my best to try to figure it out, but it's doubtful I could figure it out in time to avert disaster.

It’s the Sunday Mixer, so please tell us something about yourself that you haven’t revealed already, just a tease, then direct us to your blog where we can read the rest of the story! This is a way for everyone to get to know each other a little bit better, as well as a chance to visit a blog that you might not have before. Happy Sunday! (And of course, this will continue into Monday too.)

I write with my left hand.

My answers for 06/23/2008:

How far ahead to plan your meals? One week at a time? Five minutes prior to making?

I usually plan a week's worth of meals at a time before doing the weekly shopping.

When was the last time you climbed a fence? Why were you climbing it?

I'd have to guess it was when I was a kid, but I don't know why I would have been doing it--maybe to get a ball that had gone into someone's yard?

What is the worst natural disaster you have lived through and how close were you to the center? (Can you tell we were hit by the floods?)

The San Fernando earthquake, 02/09/1971, also known as the Sylmar earthquake. I think we lived about 7 miles from the epicenter. I was the only one awake in the house when it happened at about 6 a.m., and I remember thinking that if I could just get back into bed and back to sleep like everyone else, then it wouldn't really be happening (I was 12). I'll never forget the sound of the early morning quiet being broken by all the screams from all the neighbors and everything on every surface and in every cabinet in the house crashing to the ground. It felt like a giant had picked up the house and was twisting it one way in one hand while twisting the other way with the other, alternating back and forth. We were one block away from being evacuated because of the damage to the Van Norman dam. My school was in the evacuation zone, so no school for at least a couple of weeks, and it may have even been a month--hard to remember now. Our house wasn't as damaged as so many others were. One of my parents' friends was driving to work and saw the freeway overpass go crashing down in his rearview mirror right after he had driven under it. Another friend was in the shower and got all cut up from being thrown through the breaking/broken shower door. We went driving around the next day to see all the damage, and one of the things I remember most is the sight of streetlights that were bent all the way down to the ground.

If you could add one more cohost to The View, who would you add and why?

About all I know about The View is that it has women hosts (hostesses?). I can't really think of anyone in particular, but an American with an American accent would be a refreshing choice since there seems to be a glut of Brits being hosts or judges on other American shows, as if there are no Americans available or capable.

How much to you spend on average at the grocery store?

Usually between $200 and $300, occasionally under $200, weekly at Wal-Mart, where most weeks we get more than just food. This is for a family of five with lots of pets.

My answers for 06/24/2008:

If you could only eat one fruit for an entire year, which fruit would you choose?

Oranges, since they have vitamin C and I could hopefully avoid scurvy that way.

Where is the farthest you have been from home?

When home was California, I went to Europe.

If you had to change the oil on your car, could you?

I'm thinking I could if I had an illustrated instruction manual to follow.

Do you ever check out a book from the library and then return it without reading it?

I have done this, and it's usually from the book version of the 'eyes being too big for the stomach'. I'm not sure what that would be called in book language, but it's when I get a bunch of books that I want to read, but then end up not being able to read them all before the due date.