1. Have you ever still been in a relationship that you knew was ending, but you hung in with it anyway? If yes, why?
No.

2. Tell why people around the world should be completely enthralled by you.
Because I’m sparkly.

3. Other than where you live, what’s your favorite city and why?
Pittsburgh, because it’s where I lived with my husband for about two years, and that city holds a lot of great memories for me. Plus, it’s just an all-around awesome city, and one that I hope to live in again someday!

4. What is something you are really passionate about?
I am really passionate about a lot of things… animal rights, breastfeeding, glitter (heh), blogging, photography…the list goes on.

5. What has been your most exciting prize that you’ve won?
It’s a toss-up between an Apple iPod Touch (December 2010) and a $500 Kmart gift card (December 2008).

6. Do you think there was there a second gunman behind the grassy knoll?
What? I have no idea.

7. What was the silliest, most fun, crazy or impractical gift that you received?
None, that I can think of.

8. What was the most practical gift that you received?
I’ve received several practical gifts, including kitchen appliances, and more recently, a Shiatsu heated massage pillow (a joint gift for my husband and I).

9. What blogger has been in your blogroll the longest? How did you discover them?
Probably Amanda. We met on Kiwibox back in 1998!

1) What is a good cure for insomnia? What do you usually do when you have insomnia?
For me, Tylenol PM, a hot shower, and a semi-boring book are usually all it takes to get me to sleep.

2) Duct tape: love it or hate it?
Love it – that stuff has so many uses.

3) List the 5 worst pickup lines you’ve heard.
Just about all of the pickup lines I’ve heard suck – I can’t think of any in particular!

When did you last move residences?
March 27th, 2007. It was an all-day affair that started around 7:00am and didn’t finish until nearly 9:00pm. Ugh. Not an experience to be repeated!

What song leaves you completely unmoved even though it seems everyone else is moved by it?
Adele’s Someone Like You. It’s bittersweet and I can appreciate that, but from a personal perspective it does not move me at all. Sorry, Adele.

On what kinds of mornings is it easiest for you to jump out of bed and get moving?
Mondays!

What object do you get most annoyed about when people move it without letting you know?
Huh. Good question. The toothpaste, I suppose. That’s not something I want to have to go hunting for.

In what way are you waiting on someone else to make a move?
No way at all.

1. Adam Duritz (writer and lead singer of Counting Crows) mentions previous girlfriends in songs. In Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby he sings “There a little piece of Maria in every song I sing”. Is there a piece of an ex that will always be a part of you?
I hesitate to admit this, but there is in all likelihood a very small part of my ex that may always be a part of me, but only in the sense that he was a significant part of my past, and thus from time to time something random may make me think of him and wonder how he’s doing. Also, he’s on Facebook, so I do see his wall postings from time to time. But he is not a significant part of me — that is, he is in the past, and I don’t have any regrets, but I also don’t have any pangs or feelings of lost love or regret or remorse or anything like that.

2. Who was your very first significant friend?
His name was Todd, and he was my best friend from third grade until the middle of sixth grade. I moved away, and even though we still saw one another at school, things obviously weren’t the same. Then he got his first girlfriend, and I had to deal with unexpected jealousy, since I apparently had a small crush on him at the time but didn’t know it.

3. What are four (4) things you hope to do this weekend?
Bake cupcakes (not yet). Go to the post office (I did, but I didn’t get there before they closed, grr.). Sleep in (maybe tomorrow). Re-do my nails (after this blog entry).

4. What do you consider to be the main purpose of your blog?
To share what’s gooig in my life, heh.

5. Tell us something that you’ve never before written about in your blog because it’s too personal.
Nice try, but no. And if I were to share something ultra-personal, I sure as hell wouldn’t use a meme to do it!

6. If you could choose your doctor, do you prefer someone of the same or opposite sex?
I prefer the opposite sex – men. In my experience, male doctors have always been more compassionate and understanding. Women tend to give you the brush-off or assume they know what’s going on simply because they have MD after their name and you don’t.

7. If you could dream about anything tonight, what would the subject matter be?
Butterflies. Random, I know, but it’s the first thing that came to mind.

8. How do you react to practical jokes when they’re played on you?
I usually laugh it off. Usually, lol.

9. What’s on your agenda after this weekend for the upcoming week?
Work and lots of errands.

1. When severe whether happens, generally speaking, are you ready for it?
I try to be. I may not watch TV to see breaking news about the weather come in, but I do check in with my local news website a few times a day, and I have an account set up so that I’m emailed and texted if there is any severe weather notifications.

2. If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would it be?
The ability to survive on five hours of sleep. Oh what I’d get done with an extra three hours to my day!

3. What do you strive for in life?
Happiness and stability. And not necessarily in that order, either.

4. If you were given a vacation home and you could have it anywhere, what location would you choose?
On the beach, of course – probably Ocean City, Maryland.

5. Do you feel energized or drained by being in a group situation? If the answer is “it depends,” on what does it depend?
Usually. I feed off of the energy in a group.

6. When you’re sick do you take “sick days” or do you force yourself to continue working?
It depends on how sick I am, and what all needs doing.

7. What is your absolute favorite piece of furniture you have and why?
My bed. It’s a queen-sized pillow-top, and quite comfortable.

8. When you go out, where do you like to go? What do you like to do?
I love to go shopping. Bring on the mall!

9. How’s life? Is it treating you well right now?
Eh. Overall life is good, though there are definitely some things that have me stressin’.

This is how our school mornings go: wake up, rush to brush teeth, get dressed and eat breakfast, grab backpacks and make a run for the front door… only to have me call out, “Stop!” and point out that there’s still another fifteen to twenty minutes of time to wait until it’s time to walk to the bus stop. So Alyssa and Ryan will usually set themselves up with cartoons, Little Big Planet on the PS3, or a variety of word games and activities on Ryan’s iPad.

1. In a relationship, have you ever hung in even when you knew for sure it was over?
No. I was in one serious relationship prior to meeting my husband, and I ended it when I knew it was over.

2. If you had the ability to perpetually alleviate any pain on your body, what would it be?
My abdomen. I have been dealing with inexplicable abdominal pain for ten months now, with no diagnosis (despite several tests), and I’m sick of it. The pain is severe and long-lasting and incredibly debilitating, and I wouldn’t mind being without it!

3. What place would you visit if money were no object?
London, England. I’ve read many trashy romance novels and documentaries about the place, and I’d love to visit in person and explore.

4. What is one thing you would love to change about yourself?
The loose skin I have left on my body from all of the weight I’ve lost. It’s the worst on my upper arms, as well as on my stomach – I have bingo flaps on my arms, and a deflated muffin top on my stomach.

5. Do you think your parents were too strict growing up?
Nope.

6. In general, how many old friends do you have that you talk to at least once a year?
A few.

7. What was the last compliment you received?
Someone complimented my hair this morning.

8. Have you ever told someone you loved them but didn’t really mean it?
No. To do so would just be cruel. Own your words, as well as your declarations.

9. In your opinion, would it be harder to lose someone close to you more as a child or harder as an adult?
Loss is loss, whether you’re child or an adult. Of course, if you’re a small child, you might get over the loss quicker than if you were an adult. But on the flip side, as a child oyu may not be able to understand or grasp the loss the same way you would be able to as an adult.

1. Have you ever been on the wrong side of the law?
Yes, but for very minor infractions – prohibited left-hand turn, expired vehicle registration, etc.

2. What was the last thing you described as either “surprisingly good” or “surprisingly bad?”
Chocolate-flavored yogurt from… I forget who. Dannon? Yoplait? All I remember is that it had chocolate at the bottom, and it was Greek yogurt.

3. When was the last time you unintentionally surprised someone else?
I don’t even remember. It’s been a while!

4. When was the last time you deliberately surprised someone else?
Again, I don’t remember. *fail*

5. What was the last really funny movie you watched?
I haven’t watched a really funny movie in a quite a while. Oh wait, I remember – Jackass in 3D (minus the 3D part)!

6. What is something that you’ve never done that you secretly are dying to do?
I’m not sure… there’s nothing I can think of that I haven’t already done, or want to do but everyone knows (plastic surgery for my arms, heh). It’s not like I secretly want to trade in my little economy 4 cylinder compact for a race car with coordinating porsche boxster custom floor mats or anything crazy like that!

7. What do you hope is different in your life by August 2012?
I want to be under 160 lbs! 160 lbs is my initial “goal”, but I think I’d like my final weight to be around 150.

8. Who is the last person you greeted at your door?
A Jehovah’s Witness. He didn’t stick around long… thing it might have had something to do with my hair?

9. If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
London! Not that it’s exactly ancient… well, I guess it is? Dunno. I’m not much of a history buff, lol.

What was your most memorable alarm-clock failure?
I honestly haven’t had any memorable alarm clock failures. The few failures I’ve had I’ve been able to make up lost time for, so I never missed out on a big event or important opportunity or anything like that.

What item recently in the news do you find most alarming?
There was an earthquake earlier this week… that was more than a little scary! I mean, I know earthquakes happen, but they just don’t happen in our neck of the woods (Pennsylvania), you know?

Of car alarms, burglar alarms, and smoke alarms, which do you consider most effective or useful?
Car alarms. Sadly, they seem to work better at deterring would-be car thieves, heh.

If the shoplifting alarm is tripped as you exit a store, what do you do?
Keep going – I paid for my shit dammit!

If you owned some kind of personality alarm to warn you upon first meeting someone of likely trouble in the relationship, what would be five qualities you’d set it to detect?
Liars, passive-aggressiveness, disrespect, distrust, and unfaithfulness.