Forty-eight Things

I’m drawing a blank when it comes to new blog ideas, so I might as well jump on the bandwagon and jump on the 48-things bandwagon which is taking the DOC by storm (thanks Cherise and Diabetes Social Media Advocacy for the idea).

Right? Right!

And here… we… go!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes, my father’s father’s father, Sidney. It’s a tradition in our religion to pick an initial of a loved one who has passed when naming a new child; it keeps the person and their memory alive, in a sense.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

I can’t remember, but I was probably watching the end of some sappy reality show.  I get so emotional over those things, it’s embarrassing.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I’m not particularly proud of it, I’ll say that much.  It’s pretty awful.  Usually I just print in all CAPS.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Roast beef — rare and juicy.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
I have two wonderful boys.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I like to think so, but who knows for sure? I (the real me, not the “other person me”) am the type of person who is more likely to have a few close friends than many loose acquaintances.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not at all. (That means yes).

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
To the best of my knowledge, they’re already there.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not likely.  I’ve bungee-pumped and that is painful enough.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cheerios.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I tend to break the heels of my shoes because I slip them on still tied (my first-grade teacher even sent home a note to my parents advising them of that fact).  So I’ve been trying to make a concerted effort to untie them when I take them off.  I probably do that about 30 to 40percent of the time.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I am stronger mentally than I am physically.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Breyer’s Vanilla.  Plain and boring.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Usually the first impression is what they look like, because they haven’t spoken yet. I try not to pre-judge people based on what others say before I’ve met them myself. Having said that, my first impressions are often wrong.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red. Red is powerful. Pink is too girly for me.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
That I don’t have the same motivation to push myself to achieve my dreams and goals that I used to have.  That I’ve become content with the status quo.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I’m fortunate to still have both parents, two grandmothers, and much of my extended family, so I’m going to take a more worldly view and dodge the question somewhat.  My two-part answer is  Jim Henson and Mister Rogers. Both had profound effects on my childhood and influenced who I am today. Though I didn’t have the emotional connection with them that I’ve had with, perhaps, my own family, I feel the children of this generation are missing out on the Muppet-creator’s fun wit and Mister Rogers’ patience and calm compassion. Ernie and Daniel Striped Tiger were my childhood heroes.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?
My time-management techniques and mapping a way to achieve goals has a lot to be desired.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
White and blue Nike sneakers.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Eggo waffles.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The hum of a fan on a piece of electrical equipment. The last music I listened to (driving into work) was Tonight, Tonight by Smashing pumpkins.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Yellow. The mark I leave generally fades to the background and is sometimes hard to find at all.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
The smell of the first crisp, cool day at the beginning of fall. Also, the smell of a woodburning fireplace.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?
I have opinions, though I don’t stand firm to them and can be swayed. My core beliefs are pretty rock-solid, though.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Mountain hideaway. My water-unfriendly insulin pump has turned me off to water-sports.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?Ice Hockey, as if you didn’t already know. (two more days!!)

27. HAIR COLOR?

None. But if I did have hair, it would probably be blond with a touch of grey.

28. EYE COLOR?
Brown.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
I used to, but they became irritating and not worth the trouble. Now I just wear glasses.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Cheesecake, but I really don’t eat that much. The best meal I ever had was some sort of lamb dish that I had on my honeymoon in Hawaii.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? 
Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
In a theater?  I think it  was The Lorax, in 3-D.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue (and it’s only Thursday!)

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter.

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
In my dreams, cheesecake.  In my real D-life, ice cream.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Are you talking about exercise? It’s been a long time… but strength training is SO boring, so I’ll pick the other one.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
I use the computer for work and for wasting time on the internet.  But as far as my TV-watching goes, it’s with an old-fashioned TV. I’m not into Hulu or Netflix or any of that stuff.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
None, unless you count one of the two books I started reading in the last few years and never got motivated to finish.

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A boring Dell logo.  And it’s not even a Dell computer.

40. FAVORITE SOUND?
There’s a certain intense, unexpected feeling that the sound that the loud PING of a puck ricocheting off of an iron crossbar can bring about. It is one of the most emotionally intense sounds that a person can experience, though the actual emotion depends on which team took the shot. (Can you tell I’m going through hockey withdrawal?).  But the sound of my baby boy saying “Da-da” is pretty special too.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?
I go through phases. Right now I really appreciate the raw sound of classic instruments accompanied by powerful lyrics (AKA Bruce Springsteen, Jason Mraz), but the electric-guitar rock of the 70s and 90s is also pretty good.  The cheesiness of the 80s synthesized sound and shallow lyrics always hold a special sentiment for me – though not at the moment.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
In 2006, I took a European vacation through Switzerland, Germany, and Italy.  (Diabetes note: My very first insulin pump arrived at my door a week prior to this trip and sat in the box until I got home. By that time, unbeknownst to me, it had been replaced by a newer model).

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I don’t consider any of my talents “special”. I’d never make it on America’s Got Talent.

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Northern New Jersey.

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Northern New Jersey. Though I’ve lived in New York and suburban Philadelphia in between.

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
Red brick with a blue front door.

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
Red.

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?
Some questions are harder than others. These were fun and not too personal.

 

Thanks for sticking with me through the end!