One of Those Questionny Things

Bethany tagged me in a Facebook questionnare thing. I love these, I don't know why. Other than I like to read about other people's stories, the questions are alternating between stupid and interesting and I like to talk about myself. I've not felt much like blogging lately. Just busy and I've had all these great trips and out of town visitors and I've let myself get behind and I need to catch up. But for now, this will do for a blog. So sorry, Facebook friends, you might have seen this already!


1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
I have a scar in that fleshy webbed bit between your pointer finger and thumb. In first grade I broke my arm doing a running cartwheel. One of the first casts they put on was too tight on my skinny little six year old arm and they had to cut the cast off to put on a new one. The nurse grabbed a big pair of scissors to free up the tightness around my hand and she cut right through that little fleshy bit. You can still see where they stitched it back together.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
We have an enormous blue, orange and red drippy modern painting done by my dad, a large mirror, a print of a giraffe wearing a beret and monocle named Sydney that we bought at an art fundraiser and a Matisse print in a frame that Joe made, also two red coral shaped metal hooks that hold some of my necklaces.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
Occasionally but not so badly that Joe has kicked me out yet.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
A variety, more indie lately, and heavy on the Arcade Fire and The National since their spectacular show last week. But I like a lot of music: bossa nova, jazz, blues, 60's and 70's and 80's cheese, some hip hop, classic rock, I don't want to be pigeon-holed here, I like a lot.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
I know it was early, somewhere around 2:52 or 3:52am CST

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
I want a massage, I want a 60 minute massage, maybe 90 minutes but that might be more joy than I can handle.

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
Summer vacation and those goofy little kid birthday party favors like chinese finger torture, bouncy balls or fortune telling fish.

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
There isn't just one: my happy marriage, my family and friendships, my health, my passions, my grandmother's star shaped pendant with a little diamond in the middle that I rarely wear.

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5'11", 6' with any type of shoe on

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
Rarely, usually just in very large moving crowds when I can't see over the person in front of me.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
Only if I know there is a spider on the ceiling and in the dark I cannot track his whereabouts accurately.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
I shall leave this one blank to protect the guilty.

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
Losing my mind, losing my people, being forced to live in the Ozarks as the wife of an abusive meth dealer like some Kassie version of Winter's Bone

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Dark eyes, dark hair, that's my attraction template, anyone I've every been serious with has had these traits. Except two boys with yellow hair that I had crushes on in elementary and high school. But they were fleeting and probably are kind of gray now.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING?
Done, I'm all proposed up.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK
Coffee. I've witnessed the ravages of 5 Hour Energy drinks on a loved one, it wasn't pretty. I shall stick with the old fashioned coffee. Though I enjoy that commercial for 5 Hour Energy that makes it look like filling a coffee pot with filter, grounds and water is the most challenging task on earth.

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Pepperoni and cream cheese.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
a perfect ripe pear

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
Red

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
No, but my freshman year my friend Neha gave me a goldfish as a going away to college gift and some guy in my dorm was flirting with me and actually put the goldfish in his mouth while visiting my room with his friends one night. This was an ineffective method of flirtation. I called him a fucking moron and smacked him on the back of his head to make him spit it back out. He did not "flirt" with me again. Though he did have drunken sex with my roommate two days later, while I slept in the next bed. She and I were not roommates the next semester.

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
My 101 Dalmatians music box, I still have it. I used to fall asleep to that little song every night, watching the dalmatians turn round and round on their pedestal.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
Yes, on Clive Owen.

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
Yes, my left thumb, same thumb with the fleshy webbed bit scar.

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
Eh, no idea, I love Marshall's, and I am not loyal, though Talbots has some nice pieces when I can find them on sale. And I got a really cute Calvin Klein dress at Marshall's in Chicago. I <3 Marshall's. And no TJ Maxx is not as good, it's just not.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
no, you say it

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
I like 'em dark and swarthyish.

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
Much like Bethany, I'm a bit of a quote collector, but we made my parents watch High Fidelity for the first time on Sunday night and this quote always sticks with me. "What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music? "

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
Where ever you are right now, I'd like to sit next to you and chat with an iced beverage.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
Sure, took a cruise with my parents in 6th grade to St. Maarten and other islands I don't remember though I do remember wearing a Coca Cola swimsuit with a little skirt, and then I've been to England, Italy, Amsterdam airport, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo for about ten minutes which included a marriage proposal from a strange African gentleman who offered to give up his first wife to marry "plump white girl."

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Books, purses, high expectations, delicious tasty food and sitting and talking more than walking or running.

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
Kind of, I once asked Ben Folds for his autograph while he ate lunch with his five, he was very nice and made a joke about veggie burgers.

37. FIRST JOB?
Hotel gift shop desk clerk.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
Yes, and this ages me, before the days of caller id, prank calls were a delight. Even Star 69 was underutilized then. We could safely call boys we had crushes on and pretend to be the police, the giggliest youngest police officers in the world.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
Yes, many different soul mates, I can't believe there is just one for each of us.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Sleeping, cooking, reading, driving, working, listening to Tina Fey's Bossypants in the car and nearly choking to death and causing a major traffic accident caused by dangerous coffee in throat laughter.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
Wisdom teeth removed? Does that count?

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
I don't know, that's weird. Maybe my writing lately, specifically a slightly racy post about prom. That or my rack.

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
Yes at age 21.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
No idea, it's months away. Maybe just to get together with some of my favorite people for guiltless cake eating.

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
No idea.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My middle name, Louise, is the same as my mother's middle name and my Great Aunt Garnet's middle name.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Ed Hardy anything.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKE(D) ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
Learning, books, some teachers and friends, plays.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
John Frieda for colored hair, but it doesn't lather enough for my taste, so something new next time.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I guess, I don't really think about it. It's legible and once I stopped dotting my I's with hearts, people at work took me more seriously.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Honey ham or roast beef.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
Not enough exercise and too many treats going into my cake hole. And procrastinating.

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
Depends. Stop looking at my husband, lady.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
How can a person actually answer this question? It's just silly talk. Yes, of course, have you met me? I'm super awesome.

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
It depends. I married my friends with benefits, so I guess it can work out just dandy.

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Yes, yes they do. Is that a shame? Probably. Is that going to change,? Probably not.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
Talking, writing, furiously gesturing.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?

Tearful Teddy, soft teddy body, plastic crying emo face that wept openly when you fed him his plastic baby bottle.



61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
Any number I would ever need.

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
Barney didn't exist when I was a little kid. I have no opinions on the purple dinosaur, other than the kids on that show look a little dead eyed.

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Only with much thought and grace. Shit, yeah, I do.

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
Depends on whose making them and what's going in them. But yes, yes to both.

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
In friends: humor, honesty, smarts, the ability to look me in the eye and not laugh when I share something deeply silly and personal. For boyfriend/spouse: same, plus amazing sexual chemistry, and they are allowed to laugh occasionally at my expense.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
Kassie Lou, Kass, Bead and Read, Sassy Kassie, Aunt Kassie

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
Self deprecation.

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
Today it's Mad Men. Tomorrow it might be something else. When does True Blood come back?

69. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
As Tina Fey would say : Over, Under or Through.

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Anything with Peanut butter and chocolate and/or caramel.

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
Yes. Though I used to think, when I was about 12, that it would be cool to have an extra finger like Ann Boleyn and have people be scared of you because that meant you were a witch. The beheading part was less cool.

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
Nope. But laptops can be in any room. And I've got one of those.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
Writing two or three blog posts and one book review for Blogher, organizing clothes to pack for imminent trip, and probably finding twelve other things to distract me from the first three tasks.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
It depends on where all my people decide to live. But probably not Florida.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
Sure, I like hearing about your love or hate for Barney.

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
Pandora, song on now is I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash, next up, Marry Me by the cast of Glee, yeah, I said don't pigeonhole me.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Coffee with Hazelnut creamer. And not enough of it.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?.
A client, they were on a cell phone and actually said "can you hear me now?" with no irony.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Ass shape and arm muscles followed by ear hair thickness.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Write, hang with people I enjoy, read, travel, starting to garden, cook/bake, judge.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
Racism, nasty politics, damp jeans, dirt under my fingernails, the rude.

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?
Fall.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
Today I really want an gooey gummy orange slice. I'll have to settle for a clementine since I started the new Weight Watchers today.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
Absolutely. They are life savers and soul mates.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Brown with reddish streaks depending on every 8 to 12 weeks or so.

86. EYE COLOR?
Hazel, mostly brown with some green stuff floating around in there.

87. SHOE SIZE?
11 -  yes like a drag queen's foot. If I ever shop for shoes on ebay you would not be surprised to find that half of my choices are 5 inch clear platform heeled beauties.

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Culver's or Chick-fil-a

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
I don't really have a favorite, we try a lot of different places. But Lidia's always makes me happy.

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
Yes, Joe might divorce me if I didn't. I kid, but barely.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
Yes, Today Show, or as I like to call it, "Who gives a crap about the royal wedding, Meredith!? Not me!"

92. FAVORITE DAYS OF THE YEAR?
Standard Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any mellow Saturday.

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
Piano a bit, but it's been ages.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
I own a t-shirt with a large heart on the front, one tiny drop of blood and the word liberal printed underneath. Yes, liberal democrat mostly.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
Big, slobbery open mouth kisses. Except from you, just a hug from you would be fine. Two back pat maximum. Thank you.

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
I know Joe prefers relationships so that's what I'll say. (Actually too prudish to ever have had a one night stand.)

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
A scone at Panera last night, my drink was free, those Panera cards are cool. I like consumerism.

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
I don't have the stamina or patience for that career choice. I need to work around adults who I can avoid calls from when I'm too busy.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
Just finished Girl in Translation for BlogHer book club and getting ready to start A Jane Austen Education for their book club too. In the meantime I'm reading Dennis Lehane's A Drink Before War, the first in his Kenzi/Genaro private detective series, Gone Baby Gone was part of that series. It's so friggin good so far.